Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels reacted to the change at offensive coordinator with Kliff Kingsbury out and David Blough promoted.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was in attendance for Super Bowl activities ahead of Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Of course, the season finale will feature another quarterback in his draft class with Drake Maye now one-upping Daniels' conference championship appearance last season with a Super Bowl appearance in year two.
But that early success led to nothing but happiness from Daniels for the player who came off the board just one pick after him.
"I talk to Drake [Maye] all the time. I’m super happy for him, you know what he’s been through in his career and what he had to deal with last year and now to see him able to play in this game, one it's nothing but motivation for me, but two I'm also excited not just for him, but our whole quarterback class that we got," Daniels said during an appearance on NFL on NBC on Thursday.
Daniels, of course, also has himself to worry about this offseason after injuries kept him out for over half of Washington's games in 2025, leading him to pause before reflecting on his second season. Daniels did express skepticism that he follows through on plans to play in The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month, but he also addressed the elephant of the room.
For the first time since his transfer from Arizona State to LSU ahead of the 2022 season, Daniels will now battle through a change at offensive coordinator after watching Kliff Kingsbury depart days after the end of the regular season. The news came fresh after Daniels endorsed Kingsbury for a third season, while his mom took to social media right after the week 18 road win vs. Philadelphia to express confidence in the former Commanders coordinator.
Daniels acknowledged the move is "tough" before looking ahead to the familiarity he has with his replacement.
"I have a relationship with him and I wish him nothing but the best, but I'm also excited to get to work with [David] Blough and what he can do. I've been with Blough for both my years in the NFL, so I'm most definitely excited about that," Daniels said.
The relationship between Blough and Daniels may not be as documented, but it was one that was forged well before Kingsbury's departure even became a realistic possibility. The two have established a routine every Friday before practice where they play PIG, the football version of HORSE, where they joke around as Daniels teased "when I win, I kind of win in an emphatic, disrespectful way."
As for the on-field storyline, maybe the biggest question mark for Washington is what type of offense should fans expect in 2026. Head coach Dan Quinn reportedly emphasized a more balanced offense and efficient ground game while looking to better control the time of possession, and with Blough's background working with other offensive minds like Ben Johnson, Kevin O'Connell, Darrell Bevell and Anthony Lynn - Commanders current run game coordinator - he has a lot of experience to tap into as he crafts his year one playbook.
Daniels noted that experience gives him a building block as Blough looks to "throw his own flavor on there."
"Obviously he's been around Kliff for two years so what he's learned from Kliff is probably some stuff he's going to integrate in the offense. He's been around Ben Johnson. He's been around a lot of guys. We talked about it. He's very - I've been very vocal like [about] stuff I want to do. He's been open. He tells me all the time we want to build this offense for you, so that's kind of what a quarterback wants to hear," Daniels said.
"I'm super excited for him to get his opportunity. I know what he can do. I know the work that he puts in because me and him sat up there constantly had conversations."
Fans will get more insight after the team announced a press conference set for next Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 1 PM with both new coordinators joining head coach Dan Quinn at the podium.