Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks on after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Why Commanders could become better team in 2025 season

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn are going into their second season together in the nation's capital, where they hope to achieve similar heights as the 2024 season.

Daniels and Quinn shocked the league by leading the Commanders all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Daniels believes Quinn has helped lay down the foundation necessary to have another successful season.

“Yeah, I think it just starts with the veteran leadership. You know, we added more veteran experience, and we got guys last year that were with [Head Coach] DQ [Dan Quinn] and we kind of know the standard and how we want to play and we, you could tell that people are bought in," Daniels said.

"Everybody's showing up working hard and we all love one another, each other in the locker room. We take care of one another on the practice field, but we know at the end of the day we got to push each other to get better.”

Daniels excited for second season

Daniels won't have the same element of surprise as he did last year, but he feels the Commanders can truly establish themselves as one of the league's top teams thanks to the culture that started being built last season.

Daniels and the Commanders hope to get to the Super Bowl this season and the roster moves made to get to that point reflect that. They have gotten more experienced on both sides of the ball and the team appears locked in knowing what it needs to do in order to succeed.

Having that already established going into the season allows the Commanders to focus more on the X's and O's, which could make them a more dangerous strategic offense and defense. That could be what the Commanders need to take them over the top in the 2025 season.