Commanders' Jayden Daniels took these offseason steps to try to stay healthy

Long before the Washington Commanders made quarterback Jayden Daniels the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, teams reportedly voiced concerns about his playing style and his ability to stay healthy. 

More recently, physical setbacks limited Daniels to just seven starts last season before he was shut down after he aggravated a previously suffered elbow injury. NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated detailed how Daniels is trying to bounce back from what the signal-caller recently referred to as a "miserable" campaign. 

Jayden Daniels worked to get stronger after injury-shortened season

"Daniels is taking a lot of this upon himself, having banked a ton of hours getting stronger physically and more refined as a quarterback while working out in Orange County over the course of the offseason," Breer wrote. "There, he has worked with 3DQB trainer Taylor Kelly, who has been his personal coach the past couple of years, and Kelly has worked in conjunction — including constant communication — with new Commanders (offensive coordinator) David Blough. Kelly and Daniels drilled down on a lot of under-center footwork that Blough was planning to incorporate with the quarterbacks."

The Commanders likely don't want to completely change Daniels' playing style. After all, he earned Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors and guided the Commanders to an NFC Championship Game appearance in his debut pro season. 

That said, John Keim of ESPN noted that Blough and head coach Dan Quinn are expected to keep Daniels under center more than what the 25-year-old experienced under previous offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders parted ways with Kingsbury shortly after the club finished last season with a record of 5-12.

So far, so good for Jayden Daniels this spring

"Within the first week of the offseason program," Breer wrote, "Daniels' added strength showed up in how explosive he looked, particularly in his lower body. And his ability to absorb the offense, similar to when he was a rookie under Kliff Kingsbury, was evident as well — and it manifested in how he could see a concept, carry it out then command it to the point where he was teaching it back to teammates. He was letting his football instincts take over in the way he’d play it."

Of course, nothing Daniels does in May and June can guarantee he'll stay healthy from September through January or February. Truth be told, those running the Commanders may need to have some difficult conversations about Daniels' long-term future if he goes down with another worrisome injury this coming fall.