Jayden Daniels is Commanders' X-factor in 2026

When the Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they were confident he would be a better quarterback than he was initially projected. No one expected him to take off the way that he did, and he ended up taking the Commanders to their first NFC Championship game in over 30 years.

His sophomore season was a wash due to injuries, but he has been active in the offseason and will be fully available for training camp next month. The Commanders desperately need Daniels to be back in top form in 2026, which is why FOX Sports' Ben Arthur named Daniels as the Commanders' X-factor this season.After putting together one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in league history in 2024, Daniels was limited to seven games last season due to injury.

If the former No. 2 overall pick is healthy, the Commanders could be right back in NFC contention.How Daniels performs in 2026 can drastically alter the Commanders' entire season, as we've seen over the last two years.

In top form, Daniels can take the league by storm and lead his team to victory week after week, which is what we saw in 2024. When he's not at his best, the team has a 2025 season where they win just five games.If Daniels can perform in 2026 the way that he performed in 2024, the Commanders will be well on their way to making the postseason.

If all goes as best it can, then they even have a shot at winning the NFC East. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Commanders look like an improved team on paper, and it seems like Daniels is back to his normal self, but we won't really know anything until the season starts this fall.

One thing is certain, though, and that is that if the Commanders are going to be successful, then Jayden Daniels must be successful first.This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels is X-factor in 2026