Three coaches who should replace Ken Norton Jr as Seahawks defensive coordinator

Dan Quinn

Yes, Quinn is the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and going to the Seahawks for the same role would mean Dallas has to be OK with it as it is a lateral move. But what if Seattle sweetens the pot by offering Quinn the associate head coach name as well with a hint of a promise that Quinn will become head coach when Pete Carroll decides to retire? Quinn wasn’t a terrible head coach and would be a decent fit with the Seahawks.

But Quinn was a great defensive coach. Yes, he had great players in Seattle. But Quinn is an example of how and why a great defensive coordinator may not have great defenses once he becomes a head coach. I think it’s silly that Carroll gets a lot of blame for Norton, Jr.’s deficiencies. Carroll’s job is to oversee the entire team and not just the defense. A head coach shouldn’t be a defensive coordinator and a head coach.

But a head coach should make decisions to bring in coordinators to run an offense or defense that they see having the best potential results for those units on the team. In this way, Carroll has failed with Norton, Jr. who has never been a truly successful coordinator in the NFL. But Quinn has.

Quinn’s Cowboys defense currently has the 12th-best QBR-allowed in the NFL in 2021 and is 13th in points allowed. Maybe that doesn’t sound great but considering the Dallas defense was terrible in 2020 (ranking 28th in points allowed, 26th in QBR-allowed) and Quinn appears to be fixing the defense fairly quickly while Dallas also lost Byron Jones this offseason says enough.

Quinn is a much better defensive coordinator than Norton, Jr., historically speaking, and maybe Carroll still feels a kinship with Quinn having worked with him before. If Quinn gets brought in, Seattle is better in 2022. If Norton, Jr. is still the Seahawks DC in 2022, Carroll should fire himself.