The Atlanta Falcons played in London, England during the 2014 and 2021 NFL season. But Dan Quinn coached the team from 2015-20, so he has yet to coach an NFL game in Europe.
That will change this season when the Washington Commanders face the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain during Week 11.
Quinn shared this week during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that he is very excited for his first opportunity to coach in a different country.
“It’s actually my first international game,” Quinn told Eisen. “My first year in the NFL, I went to Japan for a preseason game with the 49ers, but this is my first real one. A lot of people have gotten the chance to do it, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Dan Quinn Excited for Madrid Trip to Face Miami Dolphins
Quinn, along with his counterpart from Miami — Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, will have the opportunity to be the head coaches in the first NFL regular season game played in Spain.
“What a cool opportunity for us to be the first. Anytime you get a chance to do something for the first time, we know that’s a big deal,” Quinn said. “We take that responsibility seriously. And yeah—we’ll be ready to get down come November in Madrid.”
The NFL will play in five countries this fall. In addition to the first Spain matchup, the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will square off in the first regular season Ireland game in NFL history.
For the second straight year, the league will play a Friday matchup during Week 1 in São Paulo, Brazil. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will meet in the South America showdown.
Since 2022, the NFL has hosted at least one game each season in Germany. This year, the Falcons and Indianapolis Colts will play in Berlin. That matchup will happen a week prior to the Commanders-Dolphins tilt.
The league will also have its typical three contests in London — one at Wembley Stadium and two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Except for the Friday matchup during Week 1 in Brazil, all of the NFL’s 2025 international games will be at 9:30 am ET. The Commanders-Dolphins matchup will be the final international matchup of the 2025 schedule.
The game will air on NFL Network and NFL+ on Nov. 16.
What Will Quinn Do for Encore With Commanders?
Quinn is entering his second season with the Commanders this fall. In 2024, he posted the best win percentage of his NFL head coaching career with a 12-5 mark.
It was the first time Washington won at least 12 games since winning the Super Bowl during the 1991 season.
Quinn injected the Commanders organization with a lot of energy, similar to what he did with the Falcons early in his Atlanta tenure. Quinn went 28-19 in his first three seasons with the Falcons.
However, Quinn posted a 14-23 record in his final 37 contests in Atlanta.
With that in mind, the challenge for Quinn will be sustaining his early success in Washington.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels will obviously key to achieving that. Daniels completed 69% of his passes for 3,568 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his first NFL season. In 2024, Daniels won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
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