QB Coach Wants 1 Big Change from Commanders’ Jayden Daniels

He took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2024, but Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels still has room to grow, and his most trusted QB coach wants to seen one big change from the dual-threat sensation in Year 2.

That change concerns Daniels using “a different variety of drops to keep defensive backs guessing,” according to ESPN’s John Keim. The latter got that intel from Ryan Porter, the position coach who’s worked with Daniels “since he was 11 years old.”

Porter explained to Keim about the importance of adding variety to Daniels’ dropbacks: “Everybody has a year of film on him so now they’ll see different habits of what he does when he throws different [route] concepts. It’s a timing thing for him if he’s able to throw the same route or concept from four different types of drops. You don’t get a tip or indicator from him and it’s just being able to play chess from the quarterback position where a lot of DBs are keying your drop or coordinators are keying your drop: ‘When he’s taking this drop, this is what he’s throwing.’ It’s just to sharpen your tools.”

That’s a smart to-do list for Daniels to work through in 2025. His development remains key to the Commanders staying competitive and avoiding a letdown following last season’s surprise run to the NFC Championship Game.

Fortunately, moves made earlier this offseason will help Daniels add the nuance Porter is hoping to see.

Commanders Already Helping Jayden Daniels Improve

The trades to land All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil should help Daniels avoid any sophomore slump. A competent blindside protector like Tunsil can reduce the pressure Daniels faced when in “three of the past four regular-season games, his sack percentage was 10.4 or higher and the pressure percentage 37.5 or greater,” per Keim.

Tunsil’s value is obvious, but Samuel’s impact will be tougher to define. Mostly because of the many ways he can attack defenses. He can play in the slot or from the backfield, so Samuel will do his part to keep opponents guessing and make Daniels’ post-snap intentions less obvious.

The drawback to Samuel’s presence is how handing him the ball on sweeps and targeting him on screens is an easy way to gain yards, but it hardly challenges Daniels to expand his repertoire. Particularly when it comes to making read adjustments and processing quicker, both pre- and post-snap.

Those things will get better with improved mechanics, specifically on the deck. As Porter told Keim, “It’s the foundational stuff. That’s always been my niche with him… footwork is a lost art in quarterback play.”

Superior footwork will give Daniels the ability to buy extra time and move the pocket without leaving it entirely. Those things will yield greater field vision and stronger platforms to ensure Daniels stays accurate no matter how he adjusts his throwing mechanics per play.

It’s a lot to take on board, but the Commanders can take comfort from the innate traits that made Daniels a rookie sensation.

Jayden Daniels’ Rare Commodity Will Inspire Positive Change

Daniels possesses a preternatural poise under pressure that served him well in the playoffs. Particularly on plays like this clutch third-down conversion against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

The knack for staying cool when the stakes are high means Daniels won’t be overwhelmed by the new and extra work he’ll need to do to stay ahead of the curve during his second season.