Report: Jayden Daniels ‘blindsided’ by Commanders’ coaching move

Kingsbury’s departure was the boldest of several coaching changes the Commanders decided to make after a disappointing 5-12 season. It was presented as something of a mutual decision, but it certainly sounds like coach Dan Quinn made the final call.

Kingsbury won a great deal of praise for his work with Daniels in 2024, when the quarterback won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Injuries limited Daniels to just seven games in 2025, and unsurprisingly, the offense regressed significantly largely as a result of that.

Daniels has not loved everything the Commanders have done lately. He was also disappointed with the team’s decision to shut him down before the end of the season, though in light of his injury issues, that move made a lot more sense.

It remains to be seen if the Commanders plan to give Daniels any say in hiring Kingsbury’s replacement. They would probably be wise to at least take his feedback into account given his importance to their future, and they certainly won’t want to do anything that could alienate him long-term.