What can we expect from the Washington Commanders’ new-look defense in 2026?
Everyone has an idea of the type of scheme that new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will employ. Coming from Minnesota, where he served as the defensive backs coach under Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, it’s fair to expect that Washington will send pressure from every direction. There will be pre-snap disguises, exotic blitzes, and more opportunities for turnovers in 2026.
Throughout the preseason and in training camp, we heard plenty of good stuff about the Commanders’ defense. But it was hard to get a real feel for what to expect. Jones didn’t show much in training camp or the preseason. So, while analysts were having fun predicting what Washington would
look like this season- predicting another bad defense, an “inoperable” offense, and much more — the Commanders were quietly confident.
Head coach Dan Quinn interviewed numerous defensive coordinator candidates earlier this year. He chose Jones, despite having no history with him, and despite Jones running a completely different defensive scheme. Quinn, one of the best NFL defensive coordinators of this century, gave Jones complete autonomy over the defense.
What does Quinn expect to see from Jones and the defense in Week 1 against the Eagles? He began with two words: speed and aggression.
“I think you’ll see speed and aggression,” Quinn said on “The Gameplan” with Logan Paulsen and Bryan Colbert Jr.
“His mindset is to be aggressive. He’s an excellent teacher. So, from the spring, we haven’t missed one step. I think he’s raised everybody’s football IQ, knowing this is a defense that has some checks that will take place at the line of scrimmage. So, it’s not just, ‘Hey, here’s the call and run it no matter what it is.’ The players have some influence. They can get in and out of some things based on different looks. So, I think that’s the sign of an excellent teacher."
Washington fans are excited about the defense’s potential. Some fans may hesitate because they hear similar things every year. This year will be different. The Commanders made some serious talent upgrades, getting younger, longer, and faster by adding Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal, Sonny Styles, Nick Cross and Tim Settle, among others.
When you combine an aggressive new coordinator with improved talent at every level, the defense will be better. How much better? We shall see beginning on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Dan Quinn offers two words on what to expect from Commanders' defense
