After the 2016 season, then-Washington assistant Sean McVay went to Los Angeles to interview for the job as coach of the Rams.
Inside the building, it was perceived as an important learning opportunity for McVay, who was only 30 years old but had already made a name for himself as a rising star and future head coach.
Instead, McVay wowed, got the job, and ended up bringing a Super Bowl title to Los Angeles.
Will history repeat itself this year with Mike Macdonald? The Ravens defensive coordinator is just 36 years old, and has spent his entire NFL career with Baltimore, starting as an intern. He’s received head coaching interviews this year, and, according to multiple reports, has wowed executives and owners with his knowledge of the game and command of the defensive side of the ball.
His fortunes looked even brighter Tuesday afternoon after Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson delivered the first stunner of this coaching search cycle.
Johnson withdrew his name from consideration for the two remaining jobs, with the Commanders and Seahawks, citing his desire to win a Super Bowl in Detroit.
The Seahawks visited with him on Monday in Detroit, and Commanders executives were on a plane to the Motor City when they received the news, according to multiple reports. Johnson was scheduled to be their final interview, often a sign of interest in completing a deal.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on social media that Johnson’s “asking price spooked some teams,” but later said Johnson’s motivation to stay was that he is “loyal” to Detroit and coach Dan Campbell, and money was not a factor.
That will leave Commanders fans wondering for years how things might have unfolded differently if the Lions had held on to a 24-7 lead in the NFC title game.
Now two candidates are connected to both the Seahawks and Commanders jobs — Baltimore’s Macdonald and Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who previously coached the Falcons. Both have conducted in-person interviews with both teams — Macdonald’s with Seattle was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Each side had other candidates under consideration, including Houston offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik in Washington, and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka in Seattle. But Macdonald and Quinn are now widely perceived to be the favorites for both jobs, in what promises to be a fast-moving 24 hours.
Quinn led the Falcons to the Super Bowl but struggled after the departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who left to coach the 49ers. He has had success in Dallas, but finished this season on a sour note with a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.
Baltimore had a dominant defense this season under Macdonald. He orchestrated the first defense in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed and sacks, while also recording the most takeaways.
He saved some of his best for last, shutting down the San Francisco and Houston offenses, and holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs scoreless in the second half of the AFC title game. He also dismantled Johnson and Detroit during a regular-season meeting.
Macdonald’s ceiling is high, but his youth and lack of broad NFL experience raise questions about what kind of coaching staff he could assemble, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where Washington needs to develop a young quarterback, either Sam Howell or a player selected in the draft. Whether he’d be open to keeping Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator is an unknown.
Quinn’s uneven career record is somewhat offset by his many connections throughout the NFL world, and he could likely deliver a top-notch staff if he is picked to be the head coach.
Those things will play out over the coming minutes, hours, and days, as a sleepy search turned scintillating with Johnson’s decision to withdraw.
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