Dan Quinn and Mike Macdonald salaries compared coaches face off on SNF
The Washington Commanders will face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football in a matchup that could go a long way in deciding playoff implications in the competitive NFC this season
The Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks will face off against each other on Sunday Night Football with the two second-year head coaches looking to make their mark with their teams. But if things had been slightly different, neither of them would be in the role.
The Commanders and Seahawks were two of the eight teams that had openings at head coach at the time, after the latter moved on from Pete Carrroll after 14 years. The Seahawks eventually landed Mike Macdonald as their guy, joining from the Baltimore Ravens as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game. Meanwhile, the Commanders had appointed former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn to lead their new-look franchise with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
The two teams were the final two to make their appointments, after they went after Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson - with the Commanders making a lucrative offer to him. Shockingly, Johnson opted to stay with the Lions and turned down both Washington and Seattle. But in hindsight, both teams will be ecstatic after how the past year has unfolded.
The Commanders had been the shock of the 2024 season, making it all the way to the NFC Championship game where they eventually fell to the Philadelphia Eagles.
They look to have found their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, who won Rookie of the Year while being at an elite level.
The Seahawks had come to the 2024 season, Macdonald's first ever as a head coach, seen as one of the worst teams in the league with oddsmakers setting their win/loss record at 7.5. They went on to win 10 games, just missing out on the NFC West title.
Once again this offseason, Seattle was written off after they traded away both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf. In a move to get younger and cheaper, the Seahawks took a risk on Sam Darnold, who is playing at an MVP level while leading the Seahawks to have one of the best records in the league at 5-2.
Macdonald and Quinn have both overperformed expectations, with the two teams hoping to be legitimate contenders this season. Meanwhile, Johnson's Bears look like they still have some work to do to get in that conversation.
Johnson is paid significantly more than Macdonald and Quinn, who joined the Bears after the 2024 season as a first-time head coach.
Top 15 NFL head coach salaries (per year)
1) Andy Reid - $20m (Kansas City Chiefs)
2) Sean Payton - $18m (Denver Broncos)
T-3) Mike Tomlin - $16m (Pittsburgh Steelers)
T-3) Jim Harbaugh - $16m (Los Angeles Chargers)
5) Sean McVay - $16m (Los Angeles Rams)
6) Kyle Shanahan - $15m (San Francisco 49ers)
T-7) Ben Johnson - $13m (Chicago Bears)
T-7) Kevin O'Connell - $13m (Minnesota Vikings)
9) John Harbaugh - $12m (Baltimore Ravens)
10) Liam Coen - $12m (Jacksonville Jaguars)
T-11) Dan Campbell - $11m (Detroit Lions)
T-11) Sean McDermott - $11m (Buffalo Bills)
13) Mike Macdonald - $9m (Seattle Seahawks)
14) Dan Quinn - $8.5m (Washington Commanders)
15) Demeco Ryans - $8m (Houston Texans)
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