Jayden Daniels primed for huge leap with Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders?
Jayden Daniels had a remarkable first season in the NFL, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 891 yards and six touchdowns on his way to NFL Rookie of the Year honors.
But could familiarity with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's system and his teammates and a year of experience under his belt lead to even bigger things in Daniels' second NFL season?
Some at Commanders training camp are wondering if Daniels, the LSU and Arizona State product, could be primed for a huge leap in the 2025-26 season, a season that Washington opens on Sept. 7 against the New York Giants.
What Commanders coach Dan Quinn said about possible leap from Jayden Daniels in 2025-26
"The more time in the system, it slowed down in a way," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said at camp, via ESPN, when asked about a possible leap for his quarterback this season. "He could process things so much more quickly that it was harder to fool him on certain looks or certain things that would come up. There's some real confidence that comes with that."
Daniels will have some nice targets to throw to this season, including veteran Deebo Samuel, rookie Jaylin Lane, Noah Brown, Michael Gallup and tight end Zach Ertz. That's not even including Terry McLaurin, who is currently in a contract dispute with the Commanders and not practicing.
McLaurin had 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
'Night and day' difference for Jayden Daniels in 2025-26 for Commanders
"Most definitely night and day," Daniels said about the difference he has noticed being in his second season with the Commanders' offense, according to ESPN.
He added: "It's being more comfortable in the offense," Daniels said. "I understand what Kliff is calling and what we want to accomplish as an offense. I have different tools in my tool belt to get to different protections, to get to different runs versus certain looks."
Jayden Daniels looking to 'uphold the standard' for Washington Commanders this season
Daniels has taken on more of a leadership role for the Commanders in his second season, holding himself and others accountable.
Will he make a huge leap this season?
The Commanders are interestingly sixth in odds to win the Super Bowl, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, at +1800. He is fifth in odds to be the NFL MVP, at +850.
The standard appears to be rising for Washington, after a surprise 12-5 season last season and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
"I'm the one that has to uphold the standard," Daniels said, according to ESPN. "If guys are false-starting, it's next guy up. I hold myself accountable. If I mess up, I look to Zach [Ertz] and guys like that to hold me accountable."
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