ATLANTA—The Falcons solidified moves for the long term on Wednesday, inking general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn to separate three-year contracts.
With the dual agreements, Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank will have access to the brain trust of Dimitroff (Atlanta's GM since 2008) and Quinn (entering Year 4 as coach) through the 2022 season.
"The partnership between Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff has proven to be as successful as we envisioned back in 2015," said Blank, in a statement release to the media. "I believe continuity in leadership is vital to achieving the highest levels of success in any organization and, with these extensions, we ensure these two leaders will be at the helm of our franchise for years to come.
"Their shared vision and long view plan has already delivered on a variety of levels and has positioned our team for success into the future," said Blank, the Falcons' owner since 2002. "My expectations for our team to represent our city and fans well on and off the field remain very high and so does my confidence in Dan and Thomas to make that happen."
Dimitroff's arrival to the franchise coincides with Matt Ryan's tour-of-duty with Atlanta.
During this span, the pair have helped the Falcons capture three division titles, while collecting six double-digit-victory campaigns, six playoff appearances and one NFC title (2016 season).
For Super Bowl 51 (Feburary 2017), the Falcons endured a heartbreaking defeat to the New England Patriots, dropping the only overtime game in Super Bowl history.
With Dimitroff, Quinn (29-19 overall record) and Ryan (the NFL's highest-paid player) all signed, sealed and delivered for the long haul, Falcons management can subsequently focus on contract extensions with the core of 27-and-under talents—namely offensive tackle Jake Matthews, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, linebacker Deion Jones and rush linebacker Vic Beasley, among others.
There's also the matter of All-Pro receiver Julio Jones likely skipping the first part of Falcons training camp, which formally begins on Thursday.
Jones, who has three years remaining on his contract (five years, $71.2 million), has threatened to miss the entire preseason—presumably in the absence of a market-setting extension.
