The 2026 season was supposed to be a reset year for Jayden Daniels, after his incredible rookie year was followed by a mostly lost sophomore campaign. But the start to Year 3 has not been particularly smooth. Daniels missed two and a half games with a dislocated elbow that currently requires a brace. There have also been injuries across the offense, the latest being star wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s season-ending knee injury.
Still, we have enough game action to make an early evaluation of how Daniels is adjusting to the offense under new coordinator David Blough. Through Week 6, Daniels ranked 15th in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per play and success rate, while he ranked 12th in ESPN’s QBR system — effectively measuring Daniels as a slightly-above-average quarterback through the first part of the season.
We took a closer look at how he has performed, with an eye towards what could be improved upon as the season unfolds.
Has He Been Effective Playing From Under Center?
Trending
This was one of the big talking points heading into the season. Part of the reason why Blough was hired as coordinator was to install an offense that could operate more frequently from under center, with the aim of opening up both the running and play-action games.
In the small sample we’ve seen from Daniels so far, the results haven’t been great. In shotgun, Daniels averages 0.12 EPA per play with a 44.5% success rate. When under center, he averages -0.22 EPA per play with a 40.9% success rate. Daniels only has 20 under-center dropbacks, but that’s also part of the issue. The lack of production there — and with Daniels clearly more comfortable playing out of shotgun — has stopped the offense from leaning into it more.
However, the run game improvement with Daniels on the field has been there. On 27 running back carries from under center with Daniels, the Commanders average 0.06 EPA per rush with a 48.1% success rate. From shotgun, the Commanders average -0.12 EPA per rush with a 31.6% success rate on 38 carries.
If Daniels can get more comfortable playing from under center during the second half of the season, the Commanders could see an uptick in their offensive performance.
Why Has He Struggled When Under Pressure?
Both the biggest improvement and decline from Daniels have to do with pressure. When Daniels hasn’t been pressured this season, he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the league statistically. His 0.55 EPA per play ranks second, only behind Lamar Jackson’s 0.72. He’s getting the ball out quickly (2.42 seconds to throw), and that has created open windows to throw. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Daniels has the 12th-lowest rate of throws into a tight coverage window.
When not pressured, 53.9% of his throws have gone between 1-10 air yards. On a down-to-down basis, he’s been more willing than in previous seasons to take something underneath, get the completion and let his receivers try to run after the catch. In his first two seasons, just over 40% of Daniels’s passes went to that depth when not under pressure.
That isn’t to say Daniels has lacked risk-taking this season. When he’s gotten time to be clean in the pocket and rip it down the field, he’s made some nice throws. And his 3.5% completion percentage over expected is a career-high and 10th in the league.
The problems have come when he’s under pressure. Daniels ranks 28th in EPA per play under pressure, a far cry from his sixth-best ranking in 2024. Even though he has lowered his sack rate (7.9%) to a career low, his production has taken a dive when opposing pass rushes are able to throw him off schedule.
One reason? His throwaway rate (21.7%) when under pressure is the second-highest mark in the league. It’s possible that as he gets more comfortable in the offense, and in his return from injury, that his performance in this area could pick up. It’s difficult to believe a quarterback with Daniels’ athleticism would remain so poor under pressure.
How Can He Overcome the Loss of McLaurin?
One of the keys for Daniels heading into 2026 was reestablishing his connection with McLaurin. The duo was one of the league’s best in 2024, but never recaptured that magic in 2025. Now, with McLaurin out for the rest of the season, the Commanders will again be without their top quarterback and wide receiver on the field together.
The immediate answer should be more Antonio Williams. The third-round rookie has caught 10 of his 11 targets from Daniels for 145 yards. When paired with veteran Stefon Diggs, who has been the most-targeted receiver from Daniels and has been especially effective in the short-to-intermediate range, that’s not a bad 1-2 option. Adding either Treylon Burks or Dyami Brown to the two of them keeps an 11 personnel alignment (three receivers, one tight end, one running back) viable.
But the Commanders could also lean into heavier looks in 12 and 13 personnel to force defenses to play bigger. Over the past two weeks, Washington has sprinkled some of these plays in for big gains.
The ideal surroundings the Commanders may have wanted for Daniels haven’t played out, but the third-year quarterback is adapting and showing signs of the player who was one of the rising stars of the league as a rookie. Washington might not have the same team success in 2026 — although the NFC East remains wide open — but if Daniels takes a step forward in his development, there will be reason for optimism for the franchise moving forward.