Jan. 16, 2026, 5:47 a.m. ET
Earlier in the week, it appeared the Washington Commanders were locking in on a new quarterbacks coach with ties to franchise QB Jayden Daniels. Mike Bercovici, a 32-year-old former college quarterback at Arizona State, is the current assistant quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers. Washington requested permission to interview Bercovici.
Bercovici actually began his coaching career in 2019 as a graduate assistant at Arizona State. Daniels was a freshman quarterback that season. Bercovici also had ties to Washington’s new offensive coordinator, David Blough. He was an offensive assistant for the Arizona Cardinals when Blough was on the roster as a quarterback.
But, as it turns out, Bercovici will not be reuniting with Daniels and Blough. The Panthers are promoting Bercovici to offensive pass game coordinator to keep him in Carolina. It’s uncertain if the interview even happened.
The Commanders have already hired their new quarterbacks coach, bringing former Falcons QB coach D.J. Williams aboard to mentor Daniels. Another former college quarterback, Williams is the son of Washington legend Doug Williams, who still works with the team’s front office.
Bercovici saw the potential in Daniels from a young age.
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“Jayden is special,” Bercovici said in 2019, per Jeff Metcalfe of The Arizona Republic. “I’m his hardest critic besides himself. I give him more than he can handle then by the end of the week we filter it down to simplicity and speed and eyes. My biggest approach is seeing how in the two-minute drive, he can play fast reactional football.”
The Commanders will still need to hire an assistant quarterbacks coach, a role Blough held last season until he took over late in the season when Tavita Pritchard left to become the head coach at Stanford. Additionally, Washington also needs to hire an offensive line coach.