NFL insider: Cowboys DC Dan Quinn declines to interview for HC opening

Dan Quinn has rebuilt his reputation around the league in a tremendous first season as the Cowboys defensive coordinator. Dallas doesn’t want to lose Quinn, but the former Atlanta Falcons coach will be a hot commodity for head coaching opportunities.

However, it looks like Quinn won’t be leaving for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As the maligned franchise searches for their replacement for Urban Meyer, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Quinn took himself out of the running.

“Cowboys’ DC Dan Quinn will not interview with the Jaguars for their HC job during the two-week window in which HC interviews are allowed, per source,” tweeted Schefter. “Jaguars requested permission to interview Quinn earlier this week.”

While Quinn may be sought after, it’s evident he’s being deliberate with choosing his next coaching opportunity. The defensive coordinator has a great gig in Dallas at the moment, lauded for his work in fixing the team’s defense.

On the other hand, Jacksonville was an interesting opportunity at this time last season. However, it’s not looking that way this time around. After a disastrous tenure from Meyer, the Jaguars were left in much worse shape than he found them.

Still, having Trevor Lawrence at quarterback is nothing to scoff at. Additionally, Jacksonville could lose their way to back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft. In April, Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson could join Lawrence with the Jaguars.

Still, it wasn’t enough to swing Dan Quinn away from Dallas. Still, Jacksonville has plenty of other options they could turn to in their search.

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While Dan Quinn may not want the Jaguars job, perhaps a different Cowboys coordinator could make his way to Jacksonville. On Tuesday, the Jaguars asked permission to interview Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for their opening.

If the Jaguars are willing to give Moore the keys to the kingdom, the opportunity to work with Lawrence could be too good to pass up. Additionally, he’s never had a head coaching opportunity — unlike Quinn.

Still, Moore will have a bevy of competitors for the job. In addition to the Cowboys coordinators, the Jaguars also requested to interview both coordinators of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

First, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was famously the starting quarterback in Jacksonville multiple seasons. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has experience as the coach of the New York Jets. Both men will be under consideration for multiple jobs this offseason.

Evidently, the Jacksonville Jaguars are casting a wide net for their next head coach. If their search is any indication, many teams will have interest in the Dallas Cowboys staff.