Former Commanders HC praises Kliff Kingsbury for development of Jayden Daniels

Ron Rivera was the head coach of the Washington Commanders from 2020 through the 2023 season and never had an opportunity to work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

Ahead of the upcoming NFC Championship Game between Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles, Rivera spoke with Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com about how Daniels became the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winner playing under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

"Kliff went out and did the things you’re supposed to," Rivera explained. "You go out and sit down with the (college) coaches where (the quarterback) came from and find out what he does best, and then take it and incorporate it with what you had as far as an offensive plan, and now you develop this offensive plan around your quarterback. You don’t sit there and say, 'This is what I do...and we’re only going to do this.' If you give your quarterback a chance to go out there and succeed the way he’s capable of, you’re going to win a lot more games, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen."

Specifically, well-known NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger noted in late December how Kingsbury often gave Daniels "a check-down some place where he can just get the ball out of his hands and get the ball to a receiver" to "build confidence" in the first-year pro during games. Kingsbury's schemes helped Daniels finish this past regular season ranked fourth in the NFL among qualified players with a 70.5 adjusted QBR and sixth with a 69% completion percentage, per Pro Football Reference.

According to ESPN stats, Daniels will enter this weekend with a postseason-best 86.8 adjusted QBR and ranked first for the playoffs with 567 passing yards. Among quarterbacks who have played two games during the tournament, Daniels is third with a 69.7% completion percentage. 

Kingsbury previously served as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-22 and became a hot candidate during the ongoing hiring cycle before Washington notched back-to-back playoff wins. Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr said earlier this week that the Dallas Cowboys should hire Kingsbury "the minute the Washington Commanders are knocked out of the playoffs or win the Super Bowl," but it appears Dallas is ready to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the role of head coach. 

Perhaps the Cowboys and other clubs still looking for a head coach should wait until they learn about Kingsbury's plans for 2025 before finalizing agreements with other candidates.