Jayden Daniels is heading into 2026 with something he didn’t have enough of last year: a healthy Terry McLaurin, a new veteran weapon in Stefon Diggs, and a quarterback voice that McLaurin says is getting louder.
McLaurin told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that Daniels has grown into a more forceful presence around the Commanders.
“You’re starting to hear his voice even more,” McLaurin told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “He’s always had leadership qualities, but you’re hearing him give the expectations of what he wants out of the route running from the receivers, what he expects from the o-line, and in the meeting rooms when we’re talking about it after, watching the film, he’s been very good in communication.”
That’s a meaningful update for a quarterback trying to move on from a season he’d rather leave behind. Daniels played in only seven games in 2025, and Washington cratered to a 5-12 finish after reaching the NFC Championship game in his rookie year.
McLaurin missed seven games too, the most he has ever sat out in a single season. For long stretches, the two were on the sideline instead of building on the chemistry that made them one of the league’s most dangerous pairings in 2024.
Now the setup looks much different in Ashburn. Both are back on the field, and McLaurin said the relationship has kept moving forward even away from the facility. With first-year offensive coordinator David Blough installing a new scheme, McLaurin said the transition has felt smooth.
“The connection with me and Jayden has been great, not just from OTAs, but through the summer,” he said. “And you’re starting to see it on the field.”
Washington also made sure Daniels has another proven target to work with. The team officially signed Stefon Diggs on August 7, completing a one-year deal worth up to $12 million after the four-time Pro Bowler passed his physical and took part in practice for the first time on Friday. Diggs, who is from Maryland, said the move gives him a chance to “put on for my city.”
The Commanders spent the offseason looking for a legitimate No. 2 receiver to line up across from McLaurin. ESPN reported the team cycled through options such as Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson and Dyami Brown before landing Diggs. He comes off a strong season in New England, where he caught 85 of 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, showing he can still produce at 32 whether he’s working inside or outside.
For Washington, the addition matters because it changes the way defenses have to play the passing game. McLaurin has posted five straight 1,000-yard seasons and remains the clear centerpiece, but opponents have had an easier time focusing on him when the rest of the receiver room has been thin or injured. Diggs forces another decision every snap.
It also helps Daniels as he adjusts to Blough after working under Kliff Kingsbury in his first two seasons. New terminology, new timing, new rhythm - all of it makes a dependable veteran target even more valuable. Diggs gives Daniels that extra outlet while the offense settles in.
Nothing here promises a trip back to the NFC Championship. But after a 5-12 season in which Washington’s two top offensive players missed too much time, the picture around Daniels looks a lot sturdier now.
In Other News...
Commanders May Have Found A Surprise Answer To Their Pass Rush
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One rookie has begun to stand out in that competition, even while he is still getting comfortable in Daronte Jones defensive system. As he works through the playbook, he has shown enough in training camp to get noticed, giving Washington another possible answer at a spot where it can use all the help it can get. The command now is simple enough, even if the path there is not: keep building the rush, and let the young players keep forcing the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
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To make room, Washington also moved on from guard Sala Aumavae-Laulu and safety Rob McDaniel. The roster shuffle is the kind of spring and summer churn that often reshapes the back end of a roster, especially for a team still sorting out the right mix of depth pieces before the competition picks up in earnest. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Moody Is Putting Washingtons Kicking Decision In Real Doubt
Washingtons kicking picture has taken on an unexpectedly unsettled feel in training camp, and Jake Moody is right in the middle of it. The Commanders brought him in to stabilize a spot that can flip games in a hurry, but his accuracy has slipped in his second and third NFL seasons, leaving the staff to watch every rep a little more closely than planned.
Moody is trying to reclaim the consistency that made him a safer bet earlier in his career, yet the urgency around the job keeps growing. With his future in Washington far from settled, every practice kick now carries a little extra weight, and the Commanders are getting a reminder that even one of the least glamorous positions on the roster can become one of the most scrutinized. [Read more 🡒]