Former Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach praises David Blough, who also praised quarterback Jayden Daniels this week
The changes to the Washington Commanders’ offense under new coordinator David Blough has added intrigue to what the production and efficiency materializes into for a quarterback in Jayden Daniels who has spent two seasons in a tempo, shotgun offense. The chance for Daniels to move past an injury-ridden 2025 season has materialized into the growing storyline for the former Rookie of the Year selection with 2026 marking not just a new offense, but a chance to rewrite the narratives from last season.
Blough admitted this week that the offense will "look a little bit different" than what Daniels has seen the last two seasons, though it also comes after both Daniels and several projected starters have downplayed the shift from no-huddle to under center. What Blough feels confident in is the traits that Daniels already showed in a Commanders uniform when healthy will still be evident in the revamped offense.
"You're going to see somebody who's deadly accurate, whose feet are on time and in rhythm. The best part about it is when we do call a bad play, he's got the ability to always kind of flip the game with his legs as well," Blough said of his quarterback.
Washington’s shift to more bootlegs and play actions is expected to allow more vertical shots in an offense that attempted just 40 passes over 20 yards last season– sixth-fewest across the NFL. It also adds the dynamic of Daniels as a weapon in space, also providing a chance for Daniels to dispel critics after 2025. Yet the chance to turn that praise into production will also come from a foundation already set between the two over the last two seasons, highlighted by the weekly quarterback competitions after Friday's practices while Blough served as assistant quarterbacks coach. Blough then benefitted from a promotion after Tavita Pritchard departed from quarterbacks coach in Washington to the next head coach at Stanford.
Though the chance to head to his alma mater drew praise from head coach Dan Quinn and the rest of the coaching staff, it also materialized midway through the 2025 regular season to give Blough the chance to step into elevated responsibilities over the final five weeks. Yet after nearly two full seasons working together, Pritchard still got a chance to get a feel for Blough and his potential as a coordinator with the new Stanford coach clear that the Commanders have a “competitor” in Kliff Kingsbury’s replacement.
“You're going to get a guy who's going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding a way to win, finding a way to gain a first down and score a touchdown,” Pritchard said of Blough at ACC Media Day on Thursday. “I also just have a big belief in Dan Quinn and how he'll be able to empower David Blough and the rest of that staff in their journey to going back to the playoffs and making noise in the NFL playoffs. I have so much respect and reverence for Dan Quinn that I'm excited for that group, I'm excited for Blough, I'm excited for DQ.”
Washington will look to make that a reality when training camp begins at the end of the month with rookies reporting on July 24 and veterans on July 28 ahead of the first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Friday, Aug. 14.
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