The Washington Commanders are looking for a bounce-back campaign in 2026. Just a year removed from an NFC Championship game appearance, the team crumbled beneath Super Bowl expectations. Given that a large portion of their fall from grace was due to injuries. Jayden Daniels bore the brunt of the injury train as he missed time on three separate occasions due to a knee sprain and elbow dislocation.
GettyWashington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels played in seven games during the 2025 NFL season.
Daniels met with the media during the first day of OTAs and was rather blunt about his feelings over his sophomore campaign. Daniels stated, “It sucked…I wouldn’t say it was like what I wanted, or it was fun for me, because I love football.”
When asked if dealing with injuries affected his passion for the game, Daniels answered, “The passion didn’t change; it made it more kind of like a miserable feeling, not being able to go out there and do what I’ve got to do based on having setbacks.”
Daniels proceeded to open up about how he’s tried to move past 2025, saying, “It left a bitter taste in my mouth from last year, and just how everything played out…You just go into the offseason and just figure out ways to mentally get better, physically, and emotionally, and just everything. So I was just going out there and kind of staying out of the way, and focusing on what I could focus on and control what I could control.”
While Daniels has been focused on change and growth for 2026, the team has responded similarly.
Jayden Daniels Clarifies Perspective On Kliff Kingsbury’s Departure
GettyWashington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions during the 2025 NFL season while rushing for an additional two scores.
Since the conclusion of the last season, Washington has undergone myriad changes, from roster reconstruction to coaching changes. The team spent the third-most money in free agency as they revamped their roster with youth. Washington boasted the oldest roster in over a decade last year.
They also moved on from former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., replacing them with David Blough and Daronte Jones.
The news of Kliff Kingsbury’s departure was initially framed as part of a blindside from Daniels’ perspective; however, he offered more insight into that decision and the organization’s choice to roll with Blough instead.
“I would say I was in the loop”, Daniels clarified, “But you know a lot of stuff is above my pay grade.”
Jayden Daniels Loves David Blough’s New Offense So Far
Regardless, Daniels was very open about how much he’s enjoyed working with Blough so far.
“It’s been awesome just to see his offensive mind, his creative mind, and juices flowing…we’re building this thing together,” Daniels stated. “I love the offense, I mean, I love what Blough is doing, I love how he is creating and designing different things, and we’ll go from there. For me personally, it’s just how can I get better as a football player.”
Something Daniels repeatedly noted was that Blough is very collaborative with the entire offense. He wants feedback and has an open-door policy on suggestions. Where Kingsbury’s offense resembled more of a college offense with heavy use of the shotgun formation and reliance on the run-pass-option, Blough’s offense will pull from a wider range.
Dan Quinn praised Jayden Daniels for his ability to adapt to some of the changes on offense, saying, “It’ll look differently, you’ll see him under center more, but you see the same intent, the same communication…he makes things that are difficult look easy.”
It remains to be seen how smoothly the new scheme will flow when the pads are on, but so far everything appears to be moving in the right direction.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Opens Up About Injury Riddled 2025 Season