Cowboys safety explains why retaining Dan Quinn was so important

Dallas Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse joined 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday to discuss the offseason and his defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Quinn opted to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, despite multiple opportunities to rejoin the head coaching ranks. Kearse shared how big he feels keeping the defensive coordinator is for the Cowboys in 2022.

“Getting Dan Quinn back was a huge win, and it was much-needed just to try your best to keep this group together,” Kearse said, via Jon Machota. “Because the strides we made in Year 1, it can give us a lot of upside going into Year 2, with guys being together.”

Jayron Kearse was a key part of the Dallas defense that led the NFL in picks this season. He racked up 101 total tackles in 2021 with 67 solo tackles. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder also snatched two interceptions. Both of those stats are career highs for the Clemson product.

He’s also posted eight tackles for loss in 2021 and four quarterback hits, both of which are, again, career highs for him. This is his sixth year in the NFL and he’s up for free agency if the Cowboys don’t extend his contract.

He signed a 1 year, $1,127,500 contract with Dallas for the season but he played so well, the Cowboys may be forced to let him go due to financial restrictions. The Boys also need to re-sign Randy Gregory and Michael Gallup.

Quinn: ‘I have unfinished business here.’

Dan Quinn was a hot commodity around the NFL for this offseason’s coaching cycle. However, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach decided to return to Dallas as the Cowboys defensive coordinator instead.

Quinn was a major player for the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and New York Giants. Instead of leaving Dallas to become the leader of a new franchise, Quinn will remain with the storied team. The defensive coordinator explained his decision to do so earlier last week.

“I have unfinished business here,” Quinn said this week, via CowboysSI.com. “We have the right people in place to accomplish the things everyone in this building is working to accomplish. We’re doing that right now. We’re doing it today — grinding toward a goal.”

With the amount of talent on the Cowboys defense, Quinn is making a smart decision. The heights the team can reach are even greater in 2022, as their exciting young players have another shot to learn from the intelligent coordinator.