Dan Quinn gives perfect response to Commanders trying to repeat last year's success

The 2025 season is finally here, and the Washington Commanders are looking to build off their NFC Championship appearance just a season ago. The Commanders are looking to prove themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the second-year of head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels.

With so much pressure on the Commanders to perform up to last year's success, Quinn has been peppered with questions about that topic, and when speaking to the media on Wednesday, he gave a simple but sharp answer: "I don't want to replicate it. I want to build off it."

Dan Quinn Isn't Satisfied

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time in decades was a huge win for the trajectory of the Commanders' franchise, but with it comes plenty of expectations and pressure.

While these expectations and pressures of being the hunted rather than the hunter - though Quinn says his team will always be the hunter - could get to some people and teams, it doesn't appear that Quinn is allowing those negative thoughts to enter his team or locker room.

That couldn't be more evident as star quarterback Jayden Daniels iterated the same message when he was posed with if there is more pressure this season after last season's success, "Nah, me personally, no. Not at all."

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

With Daniels and Quinn not worried about the pressure or expectations placed upon them this season, you can only hope that this reverberates throughout the rest of the team.

The Commanders improved their roster from last season, so on paper, they should be seen as one of the best teams in the league. However, they will have to face the gauntlet of a regular season that includes matching up against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles twice, which is no easy feat.

Building off of last year's success doesn't ultimately mean making and winning the Super Bowl, but it does mean that they will need to show promise here in year two if they expect to contend in the league for the foreseeable future.

Everything has aligned for them to be able to do so, but now it is time to put up or shut up with Week 1 set to get underway on Sunday when Washington opens the season against the visiting New York Giants.

Follow Caleb on Twitter.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• How much will Jacory Croskey-Merritt play for Commanders vs. Giants?

• Commanders must take advantage against suspect Giants defense

• Commanders protect Jayden Daniels in latest NFL mock draft

• An NFL.com data model reveals Commanders' ceiling and floor