The state of the Washington Commanders’ 2026 season largely depends on who you ask. Some people are still concerned after their showing against the Philadelphia Eagles, while others are encouraged by the team's ability to recover in the second half. This week, CommandersWire sat down with former Commanders tight end Vernon Davis to get his take on the first game.
When asked if he had any concerns about this team, Davis said, "It’s only been one game, and from playing this game, I learned that you can’t just judge the course of the season just by one game.”
He’s not wrong; it’s difficult to predict a team’s trajectory based on one game. Just ask the Los Angeles Rams. Still, there are plenty of things to be encouraged by in the Commanders’ win:
“How resilient they are. How much camaraderie they have. It says a lot. When they’re playing well, it says a lot about the organization, about the coaching, and what they’ve been able to create as far as the culture within the locker room,” Davis said.
“I saw a lot of great things,” Davis continued. “I saw the impact that Stefon (Diggs) will be able to make on this team throughout the course of the season, as well as Terry McLaurin and a lot of the young guys. Jayden Daniels looks to be very confident. Healthy. And I feel like it’s going to be a really good season for this team.”
Daniels’ health is a top priority for the Commanders this year, which is why David Blough’s scheme calls for him to stay in the pocket more often. If the offensive line can hold and protect him, it will go a long way toward keeping him on the field, and that will give him the time he needs to take his development to the next level.
"I’m not going to sit here and put the cart before the horse,” Davis said. “I honestly feel like Jayden has the potential to be in that discussion with some of the greats if he’s able to be consistent with his gameplay ... I know he has it in him; he just has to find that same thing he found in his first year.”
He went on to talk about the weapons the Commanders have in Diggs, Terry McLaurin, Antonio Williams, and Chig Okonkwo. “He has some of the most potent weapons in the league, and as we continue to see the emergence of Antonio Williams and what he can add to the team, I think it’s gonna be a really good offense.”
Speaking of Williams, Davis made a connection between the rookie and veteran Terry McLaurin. Earlier this week, Daniels had a quote saying something to the effect of what we saw from Williams on Sunday was what they’ve seen in training camp.
“I feel like that’s the same thing we saw in Terry McLaurin. I played with Terry when he first got drafted, and I saw a lot of the things that we saw him do on the football field on Sundays is what we saw in training camp. So I feel like there’s some correlation in there, and I feel like we’re gonna see some great things as we continue to go.”
The former tight end was very positive about the Commanders. “The sky’s the limit with this team,” he said.
We’ll get another chance to see what this team is made of on Sunday when the Commanders face the Dallas Cowboys in hostile territory. The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. EDT from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Former Commanders TE Vernon Davis remains optimistic about 2026
