The Washington Commanders are preparing for a major shift in how quarterback Jayden Daniels will operate. After parting ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, head coach Dan Quinn said the offense will be restructured.
Commanders Commit to Under Center Approach for Jayden Daniels
Quinn told reporters that Daniels will be central to offensive planning as the staff builds around his skill set. New offensive coordinator David Blough, promoted after two seasons as assistant quarterbacks coach, is spearheading the transition to a larger share of under-center concepts.
“Jayden’s a big part of our thinking in all the things we do,” Quinn said. “He wasn’t a part of the staff selection, but he drives a lot of the thinking and how we can feature him and where it goes. Having the ability to connect with him, that’s certainly a big deal for us. It wasn’t the deciding factor, but it certainly was a good factor.”
Blough outlined why the staff believes the change matters for Daniels’ development.
“You know, it opens up some different schemes in the run game, some things that I believe in. It opens up different play actions and keepers and getting them on the perimeter in different ways,” Blough said.
“I think there’s a level of communication that happens under center. There’s different ways to go about things, and it’s something that I’m convicted about that with his skill set, his fundamentals, the things that we absolutely loved about him when he first got here, still ring true. And that is something that we would like to implement with him and get him in that position.”
Daniels has basically lived out of a shotgun in the NFL. Analyst Warren Sharp noted Washington logged only 45 under-center dropbacks over the last two seasons, the fewest in the NFL. Daniels himself accounted for just 31 of those attempts, also the lowest total in the league.
The Commanders decided to seek a new offensive identity when they parted ways with Kingsbury immediately after the season. According to PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi) metric, Washington’s offense ranked 11th. Putting Daniels under center regularly could unlock options that the current structure has seldom used.
Daniels’ second season differed greatly from his standout rookie year. After leading the Commanders deep into the playoffs in 2024, injuries limited him to seven games in 2025. Washington went 2-5 in his starts and 5-12 overall.
More under-center snaps are expected to broaden the play-action menu and strengthen the run game. Quinn framed the overhaul as a long-term investment aimed at restoring the offensive trajectory from Daniels’ first season and building a more dynamic attack in 2026.
