It can be very helpful when someone outside your organization provides analysis of what they see.
Last week, during the Washington Commanders’ bye week, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner provided some analysis of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. In his analysis of Daniels’ 2026 play, Warner said Daniels has played well. However, he may not be as aggressive as he could be throwing into tighter windows available to him.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, during his Monday press conference with local media, was asked whether he and/or other coaches had looked into Warner's analysis that Daniels isn't throwing into those available windows, perhaps playing it too safely.
After calling the MNF game, I knew #JaydenDaniels played good, but I noticed something that may be holding him back from being GREAT! Don’t miss the point of this video - it’s not about if he could have made all these plays (especially with the issues around him), it’s about the…
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 22, 2026
“I think in certain games it is accurate to that,” expressed Quinn. “That’s kind of the blessing and the curse: when do I scramble? When do I move out? When do I go? So I think those are fair comparisons. When you see a window, hey man, this is the time to go let it rip.”
Quinn made it clear, however, that he likes his quarterback’s ability to pass the ball to where it needs to go. Jayden Daniels’ passing skills aren’t an issue for his head coach, whether he is looking deep or short.
“One thing I appreciate from Jay is he puts the ball in the right location, when it’s contested or when it’s not. Certainly, on some of the deep ball shots, I think that is one of the sweet spots for him, in terms of where he can throw.
Quinn added that he likes what Daniels has done as a passer in the three-and-a-half games he’s played in 2026.
"I think that’s true with Jay; I think that’s true with David (Blough) ourselves offensively. These are the things we like. These are the things that now we get to go tweak to move forward. There’s no more trial and error. This is how we gotta go get it done. With Jayden, I always like his accuracy.”
Quinn understands NFL quarterbacks can't avoid some contested passes. He realizes your quarterback has to be willing to put it a tiny area sometimes, or if it is press coverage you have to be able to put it away from the defender and very quickly.
“As far as contested throws? That a lot of times happens on the man-to-man, the pressures, when you’re trying to deny the ball. It’s something we all work at hard. I think if you’re looking at the whole body of work, when’s your shot, that’s what comes to my mind first.”
It was a fair analysis from Warner and from Quinn, too. Daniels is playing well, even with a bulky brace on his left arm and a leaky offensive line in front of him. But it also says more about what others think of him that he is playing well and can be even better. We know it. We saw it in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn responds to Kurt Warner's analysis of Jayden Daniels