The Washington Commanders faced a difficult decision after their offense underperformed during the 2025 season.
They could have gone in a new direction, but that might come at the cost of dismantling the support system they built around quarterback Jayden Daniels. The other option was to retain the scheme that did produce a top-10 unit in 2024, but that would go against their desire to put Daniels under center more often and lean more on a running game that was one of the league's best over the past two seasons.
In the end, the Commanders chose a middle ground. They parted ways with Kliff Kingsbury and elevated David Blough from assistant quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. The move allowed the Commanders to bring a new vision and keep Blough -- someone who has played a key role in Daniels' development -- in the building. And while Daniels admits that he doesn't have a say in which coaches the team hires, the move does have his blessing.
"It's been fun," Daniels told Bryan Colbert Jr. when asked about working with Blough. "I talk to him all the time. And I told him it's just been cool to see...him go from assistant QB coach to now offensive coordinator."
The Commanders have kept quiet on most specifics about Blough's offense, but there were bits of information littered throughout the offseason workout program. We do know that the Commanders will call plays from the huddle and have Daniels line up under center more often compared to the past two seasons, when it was rare to see Daniels line up in anything but the shotgun or pistol formations in Kingsbury's no-huddle offense.
Any other assumptions made about Blough's system can be inferred from his playing career. He spent time working with Ben Johnson while playing for the Detroit Lions and Kevin O'Connell with the Minnesota Vikings. Both coaches use offenses that find creative ways to use play action to attack the middle of the field and also use motion to get players into favorable matchups. Blough's system will likely be a mix of both schemes plus concepts he learned with Kingsbury.
Daniels' job has been working with Blough to learn the system as quickly as possible. He's not going to reveal any secrets, but he did say that it's been a collaborative effort with him, the rest of the quarterbacks and the offensive staff to craft an offense that highlights his and the rest of the unit's skill sets. This falls in line with how the two have operated since being paired together during Daniels' rookie season, as the two have developed a close bond.
Daniels said working with Blough has been "a blessing."
"I'm super excited that he's here," Daniels said. "He's the O.C., but we get to build this offense together."
Daniels said he still has a long way to go before he learns the entire offense, but all accounts suggest that he is understanding the concepts at a quicker pace than most. He's excited about what the offense can do not just for him but also his teammates, but he's equally thrilled to see Blough in his element and receive the opportunity to orchestrate a new scheme.
"It's been awesome just to see his offensive mind, his creative mind and juices flowing," Daniels said.
Check out the video above to see Colbert's full interview with Daniels.
