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One NFL team executive believes the Washington Commanders could challenge for the NFC East title this season in part due to the “perfect marriage” between quarterback Jayden Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando.
“I put them as high upside for a few reasons,” the executive said. “One, I was down on the Giants. Two, I was down on Dallas. Three, I was a toss-up on Philly. Four, we are talking about the Heisman winner coming in and possibly being electric, paired with the offensive coordinator who is more prepared than anyone in the league, right now, to handle that player. It’s a perfect marriage.”
Daniels spoke positively about his rapport with Kingsbury after Sunday’s 42-14 hammering of the Arizona Cardinals.
“Me and Kliff just have that communication, that honesty, where I’m able to go into his office and say, ‘Hey, I don’t like this,'” he said, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. “And he’s here for it. He wants to put us in the best spot.”
Daniels, 23, was the No. 2 overall selection in this year’s NFL draft. That pick—alongside the hiring of Dan Quinn as head coach and the 2023 change in ownership from the beleaguered Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris—felt like it ushered in a new age of Commanders’ football.
So the former LSU star and Heisman Trophy winner had high expectations placed on him from the jump, but his teammates were quickly impressed with what they saw.
“He really, really cares about this thing,” veteran tight end Zach Ertz told reporters in May. “He wants to be as good as he can possibly be. He’s working his butt off.”
“I think he really moves well, throws the ball well and for a young guy that’s coming in, seems to really like command the offense and I think that’s important,” backup quarterback Marcus Mariota added at the time. “I think that’s very important in the quarterback position to be able to like stand in front of these guys, especially older players, and kind of nail it and say, ‘I got this, I got it figured out.’ So, I think he’s done a great job of that.”
Daniels has perhaps exceeded the hype.
Washington is first in the division at 3-1 and the rookie is a big reason why. He has thrown for 897 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and his 82.1 percent completion rate leads the league.
Kingsbury has also utilized Daniels’ running ability to great effect. His 218 rushing yards are second on the team and he has four touchdowns on the ground.
One possible downside to hiring Kingsbury is that he may not be long for the Commanders if things work out this season. Any offensive success Washington has could plausibly put him in line for a return to the head-coaching ranks during the next hiring cycle.
Even if Daniels and Kingsbury only work together for one year, the coordinator has clearly made a positive impact on the young signal-caller’s development.