Commanders reveal 'jumpstart' plan to further develop Jayden Daniels

ASHBURN, Va. – Now that the Washington Commanders’ offseason has officially arrived, all eyes are pointed toward the future and what’s coming next.

For the Commanders, some of that is clearly coaching staff-related, given that they parted ways with coaches Kliff Kingsbury, Joe Whitt Jr., and Bobby Johnson this week.

But for Washington football as a whole, there are players everywhere preparing for 2026, even as uncertainty hangs over the franchise once again. One of those players, quarterback Jayden Daniels, isn’t getting a fresh start on his offseason growth, as head coach Dan Quinn revealed that his development plan has been in action for weeks already.

Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (center) looks on from the sidelines against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Development plan began in-season

"Even after his injury, we specifically said, ‘This is the area, this is what we're going to work on,’” Quinn said. “And as opposed to waiting until the offseason, we decided let's get a jumpstart on that. We're not waiting till the offseason to get this fixed, like it has to be addressed and worked on."

While Quinn didn’t get into what those areas of improvement are, we can assume to a certain level of expected accuracy that they involve trying to keep Daniels out of harm's way as much as possible, and that includes comfort in the pocket, accelerating processing through progressions, and making the smartest decision possible when the play called doesn’t unfold in a desirable way.

That sounds like a lot, but with Daniels himself in the planning process for his own growth, there’s not only an increased level of buy-in, but understanding of what needs to be accomplished before next season.

“Not only will he [be part of the process], like we already are going there, and so it's really important we know what he brings to us, what it means to us. It's all encompassing, you know, and how we go play the game. So, we're like fully committed to finding ways to continue to do that,” Quinn said.

Scheme changes to limit 'hero ball'

It isn’t all on Daniels, of course. Part of the reason we suspect Quinn and Kingsbury agreed to move on from each other is that the offensive scheme helped enhance Daniels’ desire to compete, leading to his being placed in jeopardy more than necessary.

Every one of his injuries in 2025 came on extended plays after the initial play failed to produce an option for Daniels to get rid of the ball, or on a designed run for a quarterback still struggling to override his competitive instinct with intelligent decision-making. Offseason training and a new voice in the room in 2026 will hopefully improve both conditions.

Jul 24, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters (L) talks with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (R) while walking off the practice field on day two of training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Peters vows to upgrade supporting cast

Additionally, general manager Adam Peters knows his role in protecting Daniels in the future.

"From my perspective, it's just getting good players around him... It's receivers that he can trust and throw to so that he's not holding onto the ball longer,” Peters believes. "It's running backs to control the ball and control the clock and not put it all on his shoulders... getting a good defense on the other side, so he's not, it's not all on his shoulders to win the game."

Having a quarterback who can lead you to victory is a great benefit to any team. Requiring him to play hero ball to do so is a dangerous business to be in. In 2024, the Commanders survived that approach. In 2025, they suffered along with Daniels. In 2026, Washington has decided it no longer wants to be in that business, and while Peters says, “we got a lot of work to do,” he’s also ready for the challenge, adding that he and Quinn both are “ready to attack it.”

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