NFL Expert Predicts Washington as Breakout Offense in 2026

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (11) celebrates with Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury (R) after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

NFL Expert Predicts Washington as Breakout Offense in 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Lippe | Last updated Jul 14, 2026 4:09 PM ET

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Under new leadership from first-year offensive coordinator David Blough, the Washington Commanders have a lot of experts questioning how they will fare with so much change. One analyst in particular, though, is very high on Washington and confident the team can right the wrongs from last year's disastrous 5-12 season.

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky is "bullish" on Washington's offense going into 2026, citing weapons like third-round pick Antonio Williams out of Clemson, free-agent signing Rachaad White, and stars Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin returning to the field fully healthy.

"Chig Okonkwo, who they signed, he led Tennessee in receptions last year. I think some of those maybe smaller additions are going to be tremendously impactful, and I like putting the quarterback under center and running that play-action system for a guy like Jayden Daniels," Orlovsky said recently on NFL Live.

Aside from the personnel changes Washington has made, the philosophy of the offense will look very different from the prior two years. Blough comes from a background learning under Ben Johnson and Dan Campbell, a style of play vastly different from that of Kliff Kingsbury, who led the offense in Washington for the first two seasons of Jayden Daniels' career.

His coaching background is uniquely varied

"I think this is going to be one of the most fascinating offenses in football," Mina Kimes said. "Blough's résumé is so varied. The Kliff Kingsbury offense and Ben Johnson offense are on two different ends of the universe. I think it would help the quarterback, and I also like how some of the skill players map onto that offense."

For players returning from previous years, learning a whole new style of offense will be a challenge. With how front-loaded the Commanders' schedule is, there won't be much room for growing pains. However, the way the front office has constructed the offense should align well with how Blough has developed teams in the past. Even though Chig Okonkwo may not be the strongest blocking tight end, Washington already has John Bates, who can handle a blocking role while Okonkwo focuses on securing yards after the catch as a pass-catching threat.

Players report to Ashburn, Virginia, in roughly two weeks, marking the first time the whole offense will be together learning the new system. Thankfully, no key players are holding out and missing time like Terry McLaurin did last year, so the group can hit the ground running.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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