By all accounts, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had a phenomenal training camp. In charge of a new offense that should make life easier for Daniels, he looked as if he’d been operating in the offense for years. Then, after the addition of four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Daniels had the best group of weapons that he’s had since entering the NFL in 2024.
Unfortunately, shortly after signing Diggs, Daniels and the Commanders suffered a bad break when star left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps. Washington then had to shift Brandon Coleman back to left tackle from guard. Coleman was expected to win the starting left guard job. All of this happened while the Commanders’ new center, Nick Allegretti, missed virtually
all of training camp.
Washington’s lack of a backup plan at center worried fans, especially after reports from the joint practice with the Ravens, where one reporter called Washington’s offense “inoperable” because of the offensive line issues.
That one word changed everyone’s perception regarding the 2026 Commanders. Never mind that Washington was using the joint practice to experiment with different offensive line combinations.
Washington has made it clear that it is 100% confident in the offensive line, despite Tunsil’s injury.
So, what does this all mean for Daniels?
Well, if you ask Greg Auman of Fox Sports, not too much. In a new column, Auman described what success would look like for all 32 NFL teams in 2026. He broke them down into seven tiers. Washington was in the second tier from the bottom, called “Get that young quarterback a taste of meaningful football.”
To be clear, Jayden Daniels got a big taste of the playoffs as a rookie. But Washington took a major slide last year, dropping from 12-5 to 5-12, and losing Daniels for 10 games was only part of the problem.
Dan Quinn's defense dropped to 27th in the league. Adding rookie linebacker Sonny Styles could spark the Commanders to greater things, and they went 3-3 in division last year, so they must make a significant improvement in non-division games to keep Quinn around. Opening at Dallas, at Philadelphia and hosting Seattle, they'll do well not to open 0-3.
Did Auman really put the Commanders in this specific category? He did, with a pair of second-year quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart. While Auman mentioned Washington’s 2024 run, in which Daniels carried the team on his back despite having a lack of top offensive options outside of Terry McLaurin, he failed to mention that Daniels led them to two playoff wins and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
It would have been understandable if he’d placed Daniels in tier 3 (win at least one playoff game) or tier 4 (make it to the playoffs, at least). After all, fellow third-year quarterbacks Drake Maye (tier 2), Caleb Williams (tier 3) and Bo Nix (tier 1) saw their teams ranked much higher.
The NFL is truly a what have you done for me lately league. It’s almost like everyone forgot about how sensational Daniels was in 2024. Injuries ruined his 2025 season. Meanwhile, Maye and Williams took significant leaps. While Maye’s Patriots would make it to the Super Bowl, it wasn’t because of him. He was terrible during New England’s playoff run. Williams made spectacular plays but also struggled with accuracy.
Forget winning in 2026. Daniels just needs some experience, says Auman. The 2026 season can’t get here soon enough.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels continues to be disrespected
