Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels practices before the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Every Commanders Decision Revolves Around Jayden Daniels

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 3:00 PM ET

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is the face of the franchise, and his individual success is clearly tied to the team's.

After an incredible first season, the Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship, but injuries ruined his second season in the league. The Commanders were unsurprisingly 5-12. General manager Adam Peters spoke about how every decision the team makes has Daniels in mind.

“Yeah, I think, you know, with [QB] Jayden [Daniels], you know, all of our decisions are really in consideration of him and this one especially with keeping [Offensive Coordinator] David Blough and their history for the last two years of working together. So that helped a lot, you know, and that, that gives us a lot of confidence," Peters said.

"They have an incredible working relationship and David's an incredible coach, so that will help speed up the process for sure, where you don't have the getting to know kind of trust building factor that trust is already built. So that'll really help us moving forward. But, you know, I think that's everything you know, we're going to be doing is going to be with Jayden in mind.”

Jayden Daniels Injuries Are Cause For Concern

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Daniels' injuries last season really put his career in perspective and the Commanders were forced to look at the entire roster with a different outlook.

“Yeah, I think there's, you know, some of these injuries, right, for anybody are freak injuries and things that would happen to anybody. But Jayden's well aware of you know, just being able to protect himself and understanding the importance of that and being available and, you know, we've talked about this a lot, but he certainly understands that," Peters said.

"But it's not just on Jayden, it's on all of us. It's on, you know, our scouting staff, to find the receivers and the linemen and the running backs to support him. So, he doesn't have to do it all himself. It's on the coaches, you know, with the way they coach him and what the call, the plays we call on the scheme and everything like that. So it's a team effort, but certainly it is a premium to keep him healthy for sure.”

Keeping Daniels healthy should be one of the top priorities for the Commanders and it might even be at the top of the list. Ultimately, the Commanders can only go so far without Daniels, so they need to make sure they are doing whatever it takes to make sure he is good and ready to go for 17 weeks in the fall.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more free coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2026 offseason.

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This article first appeared on Washington Commanders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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