There's always room for debate when it comes to talking about the NFL and just about any topic is up for grabs.
The latest iteration is the final results of Thursday night's NFL Honors ceremony. The league announced the winners of the MVP, Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and other awards, as well as the 2025 Hall of Fame class and there's plenty to talk about.
One topic, specifically, is the Coach of the Year results. Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell took home the hardware, as most expected, but the crime that occurred is the fact Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn only received one first-place vote in the process. O'Connell received 25 of the 50 votes, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell received 19, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had 4, and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton received one.
The fact Quinn received just one first-place vote and finished fifth in total voting is a joke, plain and simple. NFL media submits their votes before the playoffs begin, but even then, Quinn's regular season resume was fantastic. No one expected the Commanders to win 12 games nor make the playoffs last year and if the Eagles didn't win 14 games, there's a really good chance Washington wins the division. I mean, 12 wins would've been good enough to win the AFC North, AFC South, NFC West, and NFC South.
The fact Quinn was able to pull this off with a less-than-heralded Commanders roster makes the job even more impressive. The offensive line, receiver depth, defensive end position, and secondary as a whole had plenty of questions, yet Quinn and his staff routinely found ways to overcome the talent deficit and win games.
O'Connell has Justin Jefferson, the game's best wide receiver, an elite tackle duo in Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw and then a talented defensive unit led by Brian Flores, one of the best defensive coordinators in the game. Sure, the Vikings completely surpassed expectations, themselves, but they were in a much better spot to do so both roster- and coaching-wise. Outside of Payton, all of the other coaches were in a similar position.
Let's not forget this Commanders team was one season removed from finishing with the NFL's second-worst record and one of the league's worst rosters. What Quinn accomplished in Year 1 isn't supposed to happen. Especially an NFC Championship Game run (yes, I realize voting had concluded by the time the playoffs start, but the point still stands).
It's understandable that Quinn didn't take home the trophy, but the fact he received just one first-place vote is laughable and is yet another example of how the media can really dig its heels in and keep a narrative going once there's enough momentum heading in one direction.
