NFL Analyst Outlines Gigantic Concerns Facing Jayden Daniels' Supporting Cast

The Washington Commanders' offense struggled throughout the 2025 season, mostly due to multiple injuries suffered by star quarterback Jayden Daniels and a lack of elite skill players, and they will be looking to be a more explosive and consistent bunch here in 2026.

Washington didn't do much to aid Daniels as he looks to bounce back this upcoming season, only supplementing areas around him mildly. The Commanders didn't acquire or draft that game-changer that many had hoped for this offseason, and that, combined with other factors, is why Fox Sports' Ralph Vacchiano has their supporting cast ranked 28th across all 32 NFL teams.

• An aging veteran in Terry McLaurin who will turn 31 years old near the start of the season.

• No proven addition at center after the release of Tyler Biadasz.

• Unimpressive skill player additions this offseason.

Terry McLaurin Isn't Getting Younger, OL Missing Key Cog

"There seems to be a belief in Washington that the return of a healthy Jayden Daniels will make everybody better. They better be right, though, because the Commanders didn’t do a lot to improve his supporting cast in the offseason," wrote Vacchiano. "Their best weapon, by far, is still WR Terry McLaurin, who will be 31 in September and coming off an injury-plagued season. Their offensive line improved last year, but they haven’t replaced their center, who left in free agency."

Betting everything on the health of Daniels, likely isn't the smartest of moves, even though he was successful in his rookie season. Daniels, who puts his body on the line due to his dual-threat ability, can get worn down over the course of the season. Not supplying him with an elite younger weapon opposite McLaurin gives many a pause for concern, even with the addition of Antonio Williams in the draft.

Daniels' protection up front is pretty solid, but they will still have an unproven player starting at center, which one can argue is the most important aspect of the offensive line other than the blindside tackle. Whether it's tackle Nick Allegretti or rookie Matt Gulbin, they must step up in order for things to be held up along the trenches.

Lack of Elite Talent Added This Offseason

"The only weapon the Commanders added in the passing game was solid (and underrated) TE Chigoziem Okonkwo," Vacchiano continued. "They did add veteran RB Rachaad White, who could make for a potent duo with Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had a surprisingly good rookie season after being drafted in the seventh round."

Okonkwo, White, and Jerome Ford are the highlights of the additions on offense to go along with third-round pick Antonio Williams. While these players are solid contributors in their own right, it would have been nice if the Commanders had gone big game hunting at the skill positions this offseason, especially with the amount of salary cap space they had.

The Commanders still have plenty of spending power and could look to the free agent market before training camp gets underway later in the offseason. They could wait for the release of Brandon Aiyuk by the San Francisco 49ers, but they could also bring in someone like former New England Patriots' veteran wideout Stefon Diggs.

Moves like these would be quick fixes that could turn into multi-year players for the Commanders. But the one thing it would do is elevate Daniels' supporting cast immediately.

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