Getty
Former Washington Commanders QB Kirk Cousins spoke about Jayden Daniels’ key new coach.
He’s seen key influences on his development move on to join new teams or accept different roles, so Jayden Daniels should be interested in any intel he can get about new Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams, especially if it comes from a proven NFL passer who’s worked with Williams after making his name in Washington.
A strong opinion about Williams comes from Kirk Cousins, who spent six seasons in Washington. Cousins ended his stint with the Burgundy and Gold by throwing for over 4,000 yards in three-straight seasons before joining the Minnesota Vikings and eventually landing with the Atlanta Falcons, where he worked with Williams in 2024 and ’25.
When Cousins speaks about Williams, son of Washington great Doug Williams, who won Super Bowl XXII as MVP, Daniels should listen. Particularly when Cousins told The Team 980’s Kevin Sheehan how Williams “really knows ball, and then he and I worked a lot together in ’25, this past year, and I really enjoyed him. I think he’s another coach that’s up and coming, knows football, is hungry to learn, has good self-awareness, good emotional intelligence.”
That’s a strong endorsement, but Cousins also believes Williams “will work great with David (new offensive coordinator David Blough Jr.) and the two of them are coaches that I think Washington should be really excited about this year, but also in the years to come. I think they got some talent on their staff that could really become something special.”
Kirk Cousins offers insight on the Commanders’ new QB coach D.J. Williams, with whom he worked in Atlanta, on The Kevin Sheehan Show.
Cousins has mapped out the best-case scenario for Williams and Blough. Both are young coaches the Commanders are counting on handling Daniels’ progress and maturation into a well-rounded NFL QB1.
Blough and Williams are in important roles after the Commanders took the risk of replacing several prominent voices around their star quarterback.
Commanders Have Made Major Changes Around Star Quarterback
The many changes around Daniels began when QBs coach Tavita Pritchard left to join Stanford late last season. Blough, Pritchard’s assistant, was expected to replace him, but instead the Commanders fast-tracked Blough to take over from Kliff Kingsbury as play-caller.
He’s a young coach on the rise, but Blough’s sudden promotion has taken two familiar voices away from Daniels. It’s why Williams’ arrival has so many important implications for where the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year goes from here.
Where Daniels is going will be dictated by yet another change. This one is schematic, with Blough planning something very different from how Kingsbury had his QB1 operate.
Williams can help underpin this major shift thanks to his experience working with Sean Payton, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Building an under-center offense for Daniels will not only require Williams living up to Cousins’ billing. It will also demand maximum focus from Daniels after a troubled second season.
Jayden Daniels Needs to Take a Big Step Up
Hamstring and elbow injuries limited Daniels to just seven starts during his sophomore campaign. Even when he was healthy, the 25-year-old exhibited some worrying on-field habits.
Daniels is also being called out for his decision to take part in an offseason flag football tournament. Meanwhile, his comments about the fanbase of one of Washington’s NFC East rivals have raised eyebrows.
It’s hardly the ideal way for Daniels to start a pivotal process. He has to learn a new system, alongside building a rapport with a new position coach.
Things will go a lot easier if Williams proves to be everything Cousins says he is and helps refine Daniels’ game.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
More Heavy on Commanders
Loading more stories