Everything has changed around Jayden Daniels ina relatively short timeframe. His quarterbacks coach, Tavita Pritchard, left to take the head-coaching job at Stanford. The Washington Commanders also parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, his most trusted ally since entering the league in 2024.
Promoting David Blough to offensive coordinator helps maintain some stability around Daniels. He's got no play-calling experience and was only a position coach for a few weeks after Pritchard departed. However, head coach Dan Quinn believes he has the innovative concepts needed to get this offense trending up after a down year under difficult circumstances.
And based on Daniels' comments on Media Row at the Super Bowl, he is already getting a much bigger say in what sort of scheme Washington is going to run moving forward.
Jayden Daniels makes intentions clear for Commanders' offensive revolution
During an appearance on Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio and Chris Simms on NBC Sports, Daniels revealed that he has been very vocal about the sort of things he wants Blough to install. The dynamic signal-caller is also confident in the new hire, which is a sentiment echoed across the organization and beyond.
"I've been very vocal about the stuff I want to do. He's been open. He tells me all the time that 'we want to build this offense for you', so that's kind of what a quarterback wants to hear. I'm super excited for him to get his opportunity. I know what he can do, and I know the work he puts in. We talk all the time, so I'm super excited to get back out there."Jayden Daniels
Every established quarterback around the NFL has input in the offense. Daniels was among those wanting change. Kingsbury was reportedly unwilling to budge after a crunch meeting with Quinn after the campaign, and he was let go. Now, the onus falls on Blough to put in place the system that enables the former LSU phenom to thrive.
At the same time, Daniels cannot completely dictate what's going on.
Blough needs to find the line between player opinion and what's best for the overall offensive outlook. It's a fine line, of course, but he was around the game a lot as a signal-caller himself, so he'll know the difference between right and wrong.
Daniels is the franchise player. He carries the hopes of an entire franchise on his shoulders, and one only has to look at how things capitulated without him in 2025 for further proof. Blough is being accommodating, but the dual-threat weapon also needs to toe the line when required.
If these objectives are accomplished, and the personnel around Daniels improve, it's all systems go.