Gillette Stadium was loud, the Patriots were sharper, and the Commanders walked out with a 48–18 preseason gut check. Dan Quinn didn’t sugarcoat it. “I thought it was sloppy tonight,” he called it. Fifteen penalties, nearly 100 free yards handed to New England, and too many mental lapses for a team preaching precision all offseason. One-third of the roster, including Jayden Daniels, Deebo Samuel, and Von Miller, never suited up, but that wasn’t Quinn’s point. The guys on the field didn’t meet the standard. And he got into action mode just after the game.

Dan Quinn didn’t waste time making his point. By Monday night, the Commanders’ locker room got its first real reminder that the NFL isn’t a waiting game, not under Quinn. The head coach cut rookie safety Dominique Hampton, and he did it with a mix of blunt honesty and calculated timing.

“It’s a hard part of it. But yeah, we did make that move today,” Quinn told reporters on August 12. “If it’s not the right fit, we’d rather give him the chance to chase an opportunity elsewhere. Sometimes, it’s better to make that move now than later.”

Hampton, a fifth-round pick in 2024 out of Washington, had been fighting for a special teams role while learning Quinn’s defensive system. On paper, he had the length and range the Commanders liked at safety. But camp practices told a different story. Per The Washington Post, Hampton struggled with coverage recognition in joint sessions and didn’t make a single splash play in the preseason opener.

Quinn’s decision wasn’t just about one player; it was about establishing the tone. “We’ve got high regard for Dom, absolutely loved working with him,” Quinn said, before making it clear sentiment wouldn’t drive roster spots. “If it wasn’t gonna fit for us, then we want to certainly go give him a chance to go do that.”

This is the cold, precise cut Washington fans haven’t seen in years. Last year, Dan Quinn might’ve stashed Hampton for development. This year? He’d rather open the door than leave a man lingering in roster limbo. In a league where every rep counts, this was both ruthless and oddly respectful, a public declaration that fit, not draft status, will decide who survives camp.

And make no mistake. The rest of the roster heard it loud and clear when he followed it up with 2 more cuts.

Dan Quinn gets rid of two defensive players

Dan Quinn didn’t just trim his roster; he carved into it. Hours after a 48-18 preseason embarrassment, the Commanders’ head coach released defensive end Viliami Fehoko Jr. and cornerback Allan George. Cuts like these aren’t purely about numbers. They’re warnings.

Fehoko, a 2023 fourth-round pick, brought intrigue, 6’4”, 276 pounds, and flashes of rush-bust potential. But inconsistent run defense made that ceiling unreachable in Quinn’s system. In a front where gap integrity is gospel, inconsistency isn’t just a flaw.

Allan George’s path was a grind from day one. Undrafted in 2022, the Cincinnati Bengals gave him a shot. He made the final roster, got cut the next day, re-signed to the practice squad, then clawed his way up again in November to debut against Carolina. A few weeks later, he was elevated for Week 15 versus Tampa Bay, eventually landing a full active roster spot on January 2, 2023. In the playoffs? Mostly special teams, but every snap was a fight.

Then came another round of roster roulette, released in August 2023, back to the practice squad, signed to a reserve/future deal in January 2024, cut in August, and picked up by Washington this January. Seven months later, Quinn closed that chapter. George’s reaction was telling; he turned to X and wrote, “What an opportunity to get closer to the Lord! 🩶✝️”

These weren’t just exits. They were signals. Dan Quinn’s swapping potential for proven reliability, signing veterans like Essang Bassey, Antonio Hamilton Sr., and Duke Riley. Experience over projection. Certainty over maybe. And for anyone still in the locker room, the message is clear. In Quinn’s world, potential without execution is a one-way ticket out.