As teams continue to shake up their front offices and coaching staffs, two former members of the Detroit Lions organization have landed in Atlanta.
Former general manager Bob Quinn will be joining the Atlanta Falcons as a senior advisor to head coach Kevin Stefanski, while former wide receivers coach Robert Prince will serve in the same role he primarily had with the Lions.
Quinn was hired by the Lions in 2016, after spending over 15 years with the New England Patriots organization, where he rose to become director of pro scouting. Quinn had hoped to bring "the Patriot way" to Detroit, but the results were anything but.
After two winning seasons with holdover Jim Caldwell as head coach, Quinn fired Caldwell and hired Patriots' defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as head coach. The Patricia era was tumultuous, as he often butt heads with players and the media en route to consecutive losing seasons. Patrica and Quinn were both fired at the same time, midway through the 2020 season.
To his credit, Quinn did help shape the Lions' offensive line, drafting center Frank Ragnow and tackle Taylor Decker. However, other draft failings like cornerback Jeff Okudah in the 2020 NFL Draft, stalled any hopes of progress. It was also later revealed that current head coach Dan Campbell wanted the Lions' job after Caldwell's firing, making the Patricia hire look even worse.
After being fired by the Lions, Quinn joined the Cleveland Browns as a senior consultant. After one season, Quinn was promoted to senior personnel and coaching executive. This would explain the move to Atlanta, as Cleveland is where Stefanski previously coached.
Prince was briefly the head coach of the Lions
Prince first joined the Lions in 2014 as the WR coach under Caldwell's coaching staff. He remained in the role after Patricia's hiring.
In 2020, Prince served as acting head coach for one game amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interim head coach Darrell Bevell, who replaced Patricia, was among numerous members of the Lions' coaching staff who needed to be quarantined. In that Week 16 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Prince and the Lions were blown out 47-7 in a game that also saw quarterback Matthew Stafford injured after three pass attempts.
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Prince has continued finding work as a WR coach. He spent the 2021 season with the Houston Texans before spending three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Last season, Prince was a member of Mike McDaniel's staff in Miami before McDaniel was fired early this offseason.
The Lions will be playing the Falcons on the road in the 2026 season, as the team is scheduled to face off against the NFC South. Fans hoping for another opportunity to stick it to Quinn and see how well Prince does with the Falcons' abundant offensive talent won't have to wait long.