Commanders' Quinn reveals Daniels change nobody will see on the stat sheet

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Commanders HC Dan Quinn reveals major Jayden Daniels change nobody will see on the stat sheet

By Chris Pownall | Last updated Sep 11, 2026 3:13 PM ET

The Washington Commanders are about to find out whether all the offseason work surrounding Jayden Daniels translates when the games count.

Dan Quinn already sees a difference. In fact, the Commanders head coach believes his quarterback has improved in an area that could make Washington considerably more dangerous this season.

Dan Quinn says Jayden Daniels is more accurate than ever

Speaking with reporters ahead of Washington’s season opener, Quinn was asked about the hunger he has seen from Daniels after a difficult 2025 season. His answer quickly went beyond motivation.

“He was more accurate than he’s ever been,” Quinn said.

That is quite a statement considering what Daniels has already shown when healthy. Accuracy was hardly viewed as a glaring weakness that needed to be fixed. If Quinn is seeing another jump there, Washington may have something significant brewing.

But Quinn’s most interesting comments came when he explained what happened away from the box score.

“He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten bigger,” Quinn said. “There’s a lot of small things that, you know, don’t show up on the stat sheet that he has definitely done. But I love, you know, just kind of the fire that’s in him.”

Last season gave Jayden Daniels another reason to improve

Those changes could become especially important after the way last season unfolded.

Daniels missed time in 2025, never allowing Washington to fully build on the momentum created during his breakout 2024 campaign. Rather than simply trying to get back to where he was, Quinn’s comments suggest Daniels spent the offseason adding another layer to his game.

The added strength could help him withstand punishment over a long season. Improved accuracy could make an already difficult quarterback even tougher to defend. The part about his fire, however, may be the most interesting piece of the entire answer.

Daniels has never been the loudest personality in the room. Quinn described him as a confident and clutch player, but what Washington apparently saw behind closed doors was a quarterback attacking the offseason after experiencing his first real NFL setback.

Now comes the fun part.

None of the extra weight, strength or offseason work will appear next to Daniels’ name in a box score. Fans will only see the results.

If Quinn is right about what changed, those results could start showing up very quickly.

Chris Pownall

Chris Pownall is a Contributor to Yardbarker covering all major sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, college athletics, and the biggest storylines shaping the sports world. His work focuses on timely analysis, strong opinion, and the narratives fans are actually talking about. He also serves as an NFL Analyst for Last Word on Sports, where he provides in depth coverage and league wide perspective on the NFL

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