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Two years ago, Jayden Daniels looked like the future of the NFL. One injury-plagued season later, he’s entering 2026 with more to prove than almost any quarterback in football. If he can answer a handful of critical questions, Daniels has a legitimate path back into the NFL MVP conversation. “I’m done talking about last year. Last year is last year,” Daniels said during minicamp availability when asked about his thoughts on the 2025 season. Nobody can blame him; it left a sour taste in the mouths of so many people, but Daniels, who had played just four full games for Washington last season, has an opportunity to put his name back in the conversations of the upper echelon of quarterbacks this year.
Jayden had his name mixed in the MVP race as a rookie two seasons ago, and to repeat that level of success depends on how several questions get answered this year.
Mastering David Blough’s offense
Blough is a new coordinator with very limited experience before being elevated; the relationship that Daniels has with Blough is essential to the baseline success of Daniels and the offense. Daniels’ accuracy is up there with the best of quarterbacks, but his most dynamic asset is his athleticism and scrambling ability. We know he can break a defense down with that threat alone, but in a new offense, he has to be able to keep the offense ahead of schedule with his decision-making and timing as a passer first.
Staying healthy for an entire season
The biggest question isn’t talent—it’s durability. Daniels proved during his rookie campaign that he can play through a full season, but injuries limited him to just four complete games in 2025. Until he strings together another healthy 17-game season, durability will remain part of the conversation surrounding his long-term ceiling. We don’t have the answer now, but this season will bring clarity.
Elevating Washington in big games
In the 2024 and 2025 regular seasons with Jayden Daniels starting, Washington has a 2-9 record against teams above .500. I believe this record is more of an indictment on the makeup of the roster than it is directly reflective of Daniels himself. Washington’s receiver and tight end production were lackluster in 2025 and struggled to provide an explosive pass game for any Washington quarterback. Additionally, the defense in both seasons was abysmal, forcing the offense to play perfect football to keep them in games essentially. What makes this record more critical moving forward, though, is the complete roster overhaul GM Adam Peters has done this offseason. On paper, this team has filled plenty of holes that have plagued the team over the last two seasons, and it should give Daniels more of a chance to influence the game in a major way.
Leading the Commanders to an NFC East title
Another element to this record that we should also pay attention to this season is how he performs in the NFC East matchups. Daniels still has to prove he can consistently outperform established veterans like Dak Prescott, especially in division games that often shape the NFC East race. Being able to go toe-to-toe with Prescott, as well as winning the division, is an easy way to place a legitimate bid for the MVP.
In the end, Jayden has a real shot, albeit a long shot, at the MVP this year. It will always come down to how many wins your team accumulates, elite numbers in a top-5 offense, signature wins, and memorable moments. All things that voters will be paying attention to. Daniels has already shown he possesses MVP-level talent. The question entering 2026 isn’t whether he can make spectacular plays—we’ve already seen that. It’s whether he can stay healthy, master a new offense, consistently beat quality opponents, and lead Washington to the top of the NFC East. If he checks those boxes, don’t be surprised if his name finds its way back into the MVP conversation by December. I break down each of those questions in detail in the video below.
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