Jayden Daniels Commanders Qb Sets Offseason Goals For Growth

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 8:36 PM

jayden daniels commanders qb sets offseason goals for growth

For players on the Washington Commanders’ roster, the offseason presents an opportunity to heal, rest, and really focus on individual plans for getting better before the next season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels entered his first NFL offseason in a better position than most, and after leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, there weren’t a whole lot of holes in his game... That doesn’t mean there aren’t areas he could get better in as he looks to take Washington another step forward this season, and he spent much of his offseason looking for physical and technical... Given his dual-threat style of play, it made sense for Daniels to prepare his body for the punishment defensive players love to dish out to quarterbacks. While he escaped his rookie season relatively unscathed, the quarterback’s efforts were focused on being “able to soften the blow as much as possible,” Daniels says. “That helps out because obviously those guys might get a good shot on you and they weigh a lot more than I do.

So, just be able to try to build more muscle to absorb those hits.” Rookie seasons are full of learning lessons for every NFL player, even ones who light the league on fire like quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels was a revelation for the Washington Commanders, both in terms of providing stability at the quarterback position and turning the franchise into a playoff contender. He set records, helped the Commanders get their best record in decades and even entered the fringes of the MVP conversation. There is always a learning curve for players going from college to the professional game, but Daniels seemed to pick things up much easier compared to his counterparts around the league. The reality is that playing 17 games plus going through a playoff run is a taxing process, and Daniels felt the physical toll after the season came to an end.

Now that he's experienced it firsthand, it has shaped everything about his offseason routine. "It's a long season," Daniels told Bryan Colbert Jr. on "Next Man Up." "Now, just put the team around me, ask questions, ask vets and reach out to other individuals [to ask], 'How did you navigate your first offseason?'" It seems like one of the first items on Daniels' agenda was to put on a little weight. Daniels laughed it off when asked multiple times about his physique during the first week of Phase 3 of the offseason workout program, but it's clear that he has a little more muscle in... Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' gruesome injury was not bad enough to guarantee his season is over.

According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, Daniels' dislocated left elbow was not even severe enough to land him on injured reserve. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Nov. 7 that Daniels managed to avoid any ligament damage in his elbow and will therefore avoid surgery. Glazer said on Nov. 9 that Washington plans to re-evaluate its starting quarterback in three weeks, setting up a potential return to action shortly after the team's Week 12 bye. In the meantime, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will continue to start behind center for the Commanders.

In four starts this season, Mariota is 1-3. Daniels remains out for the Commanders' Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins. The two teams will face off in Madrid, and two Hawaiian quarterbacks will start against each other for the second time this season – Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins and Mariota for the Commanders. One of the biggest knocks on quarterback Jayden Daniels ahead of the 2024 NFL draft was his size. While Daniels stood 6-foot-4, he weighed around 200 pounds; there were concerns that his style of play would not hold up for a full NFL season. Daniels quickly put those concerns to rest in 2024, leading the Washington Commanders to a 12-5 record, their best season in 33 years, and an appearance in the NFC championship game.

Early in the season, Daniels took some hard hits but quickly adjusted throughout the season. By the end of his rookie year, more people were talking about Daniels as a passer than a runner, although he'd use his legs at critical times to crush defenses. After his rookie season ended, Daniels talked about finding ways to improve. This offseason, Daniels appears to have added some weight to his frame. Check out this picture of Daniels at a recent Washington Organized Training Activity (OTA). This shouldn't come as a surprise because Daniels said one of his offseason goals was to add some bulk.

"I got a couple of things that my quarterback coach probably has written up and stuff like that," Daniels said in an appearance on the "This is Football" podcast. "The main thing I'll say this offseason is bulking up a little bit more, putting on some more armor, having a full offseason now. The first offseason as a pro." As if the Washington Commanders didn't have enough issues already in the midst of a very disappointing season, the team is now operating without the services of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels has been sidelined since he suffered an ugly elbow injury in the Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The second-year quarterback was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow, which many initially believed might end his season.

However, a recent update on Daniels says otherwise, opening the door for him to play again in 2025. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, tests revealed Daniels' injury isn't as bad as first believed, as the young quarterback avoided ligament damage and he doesn't need surgery. Rapoport adds that, right now, the team is not putting Daniels on injured reserve. The Washington Commanders are entering the 2025 NFL season with a renewed sense of optimism, and much of that excitement centers on their quarterback, Jayden Daniels. After a standout campaign, Daniels didn’t just flash potential last year; he delivered. As the Offensive Rookie of the Year and seventh in MVP voting, he threw for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding nearly 900 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground.

His dual-threat capability made him one of the league’s most dynamic young quarterbacks. But success in Year One often leads to the dreaded sophomore slump, where defenses adjust and the pressure mounts. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has been vocal about Daniels’ growth during the spring and early offseason workouts. “This spring, Daniels looked even more decisive, and coaches stressed the details of his game such as footwork, ESPN’s John Keim wrote Thursday. “You can see the comfort level was there this year,” said offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in late May. “Just watching him move around, he’s not thinking as much, he’s playing fast and letting his natural gifts kind of take over, and that’s what we want to see.

So, I expect him to take a big jump.” CHEYENNE—As the future of SNAP benefits, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is up in the air amid the federal government shutdown, Wyoming lawmakers are looking to update the program by prohibiting... Florida… you’ve done it again. You’ve managed to make the news in a way that’s equal parts horrifying, confusing, and—let’s be honest—impressively stupid. This time, an Orlando man was arrested after a young child was found running naked toward Interstate 4. Because apparently, in Florida, even toddlers are trying to escape traffic on I-4.

Meet Harper Lee, a happy young dog who has overcome much hardship and is searching for her forever home. Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE), a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, recently highlighted Harper Lee, a mixed-breed girl who came into their care some time ago. According to the rescue, “Harper came into foster care a small, frail, and emaciated puppy; her legs were terribly deformed. We had hoped that it was just rickets and proper nutrition could fix her legs. Sadly, the rickets had already done permanent damage to her bones. She did wear a brace for a while on the worst-shaped leg, and it helped straighten it out some.”

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, has introduced a 2-year-old, 6-pound dog named Lumi who is described as "sunshine with legs." The tiny canine is currently available for adoption and... A local and dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE), would like you to meet Branson Bounce, a young puppy who recently came into their care through tragic means. According to the rescue, “The Bounce pups were rescued in Georgia, after their momma had passed away unexpectedly and they were found as strays.” After being rescued, Branson and his siblings were all placed... But now Branson is the only one left who still has not found a forever home. Quarterback Jayden Daniels looked like a potential future superstar as he guided the Washington Commanders to this year's NFC Championship Game and ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the... Daniels nevertheless understands he must "prove" himself as an NFL QB1 each year.

During a recent chat with Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, Daniels spoke about how reviewing game film from his debut pro campaign showed him what he needed to work on during his first offseason... "My main focus was on how I can improve mechanically from Year 1 to Year 2," Daniels said. "…You kind of just see your tendencies and what you think some people will try to use against you going into the next season." Some viewed Daniels and not Caleb Williams as the top quarterback prospect in the 2024 draft before the Chicago Bears took Williams with the first pick of the player-selection process. Washington happily grabbed Daniels at No. 2, and he was better than advertised as he helped the club win 12 of 17 regular-season games.

Per Pro Football Reference, Daniels finished his rookie season ranked fourth in the league among qualified quarterbacks with a 70.6 adjusted QBR. According to StatMuse, he was seventh in the NFL with 4,459 combined passing and rushing yards, and he was ninth with 31 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. After a stunning rookie campaign that rewrote record books and lifted the Washington Commanders to heights not seen in decades, Jayden Daniels enters Year 2 with high expectations and the full confidence of his... Among those most excited for what’s ahead is veteran running back Austin Ekeler, who joined the Commanders in 2024 and has already become one of Daniels’ biggest believers. “He crushed it last year,” Ekeler said via SiriusXM NFL Radio. “When you start to see him kind of orchestrating out there, you could tell that there’s that growth.

He starts to get more comfortable, and that allows him to even play more mentally faster and make better decisions.” .@Commanders RB @AustinEkeler is excited to see what QB Jayden Daniels can do during the 2025 season after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. 📻 https://t.co/u2cRkasH7n#Commanders | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/TW6tlUNAJ3

Jayden Daniels Commanders Qb Sets Offseason Goals For Growth

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