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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is 17-17 across two seasons with the team.
While Super Bowl LX officially marks the end of the NFL season, the Washington Commanders have been in offseason mode for weeks now. Since their season finale on January 4, the team has made several significant changes to its coaching staff. Washington also bolstered the oldest roster in the NFL heading into last season. In the wake of their disappointing 2025 campaign, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have both expressed their desire to move the roster in a younger direction. This marks the team for even more turnover as free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft get closer. This is a big transition for an organization that is a year off from an NFC Conference Championship appearance. Amidst all the change, Washington set the record straight on why this is good for the franchise with a simple five-word message on social media.
“Growth starts with fresh perspective.”
This was the tag the team used on Instagram after posting a quote from Dan Quinn: “Fresh eyes bring new ideas, new energy, and a new way of looking at what we can become.”
This quote was pulled from Quinn’s latest media session on February 10. Quinn provided more insight into what the team will look like under their new coaching hires.
Commanders’ Coaching Hires Center Around Player Development
Along with the emphasis on growth, Quinn expressed a need to bring in coaches who are great teachers. “It’s a core trait that Quinn values in his staff, as the Commanders want to be seen as a franchise that can get the most out of their players”, Commanders senior writer Zach Selby wrote. Quinn credited this as one of the main reasons for the team hiring David Blough and Daronte Jones as Washington’s offensive and defensive coordinators.
“He’s already seen that trait from Blough, who has worked closely with Daniels over the last two seasons. His research on Jones showed that he was also “remarkable” in his coaching style and ability to connect with players. He put belief in players to help “raise their game up,” Quinn said.
“Those are the types of things, from a leadership standpoint, that you want to hear. Developing players, making an impact, finding ways to teach it where it can be clear and concise.”
The Commanders are shifting their focus towards maximizing the talent of their roster. Ultimately, their success will be based on their ability to unlock the full potential of their quarterback.
Putting Jayden Daniels in the Best Position to Succeed Is Top Priority
GettyQuarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 1,262 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions while rushing for an additional 278 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2025.
Jayden Daniels’s sophomore season was less than optimal. The young signal-caller only played in seven games due to several injury designations throughout the season. However, even when Daniels was healthy, the offense wasn’t clicking the way it had in his rookie season. One of the main reasons the team decided to move off of former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was because of disagreements regarding the best way to develop Daniels. Now under David Blough, Quinn expects the offense to be better set up for success.
“This is going to be an aggressive, balanced attack that will probably have more under center than we have in the past,” Quinn said.
Quinn expressed a desire for the offense to generate more explosive plays, which can come from establishing the run game and utilizing the play-action. Washington has primarily relied on a read-option system run out of shotgun over the last two years. While this will still be an element of the offense, Quinn believes that Blough’s promotion can evolve the scheme further.
“We’re gonna try to feature every part of Jayden and what makes him unique and special,” Quinn said.
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