Commanders QB Jayden Daniels wants to learn something from Lions QB Jared Goff that his athleticism can’t give him
Jayden Daniels is studying Jared Goff this offseason — and it’s not because he’s trying to become Jared Goff. It’s because Goff has something Daniels’ incredible athleticism can’t give him. And the former Lions QB now running Washington’s offense helps explain the connection.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is watching Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s film this offseason. That might sound like a strange pairing at first. Daniels is one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in football. Goff is one of the NFL’s last true pocket passers. These guys could not be any more different. But when you dig into why Daniels is studying Goff, and the David Blough connection tying both quarterbacks together, it starts to make a lot of sense.
Daniels recently spoke with ESPN’s Kevin Clark about trying to have more freedom at the line of scrimmage, turning his back to the defense, learning how to stay in the pocket, and doing more than just his first read. Goff’s name came up as one of the quarterbacks he’s been studying, along with Matthew Stafford.
The David Blough connection
There’s a pretty obvious link between the two quarterbacks that Lions fans will remember. Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough spent time with Goff in Detroit. Blough was in the Lions’ quarterback room with Goff in 2021 and 2022 before he retired and decided to go into coaching. Now he’s Washington’s offensive coordinator, working directly with Daniels after serving as the team’s assistant quarterbacks coach last year.
So when Daniels says he’s watching Goff, you have to wonder how much of that comes from Blough. Having an up-close look at both Goff and Stafford, seeing how they prepare, the way they see the field, the things that allow them to succeed without having the athletic tools Daniels has, that’s probably what Blough is trying to install.
Daniels already knows how to do stuff Goff can’t
Here’s the thing. Daniels does not need Jared Goff to teach him how to escape the pocket. He doesn’t need to watch Goff film to learn how to scramble for 30 yards or make something happen when everything breaks down. Lions fans saw it firsthand in the divisional round in 2024. Daniels beat Detroit up. He could turn something that should have been a sack into a 20-yard gain. He already has all of that.
What he can learn from Goff is how to make sure he doesn’t have to do that.
I know that sounds crazy because everybody thinks the NFL is moving toward mobile quarterbacks, and in a way that is true. But you don’t want to wind up like Caleb Williams, where you’re running all over the place trying to make something happen. Sometimes that works, but a lot of other times it does not. Daniels has shown a tendency to take off if his first read isn’t there, and that’s probably what Washington wants to clean up.
What Goff actually offers Daniels
Goff has spent his entire career learning how to survive and thrive inside the structure of an offense because he doesn’t have an escape hatch. If his first read isn’t there, Goff can’t take off. He has to get to the second read or the third read. He has to manipulate the pocket. He has to know where the pressure is coming from. He has to anticipate when somebody is going to come open and sometimes throw the ball before that player even looks open.
I think people sometimes confuse being a pocket passer with being a statue, and Goff is not Lamar Jackson back there. I’ve made that pretty well known. But watch his feet. There are these little movements that don’t show up in the box score. He’ll climb the pocket, slide a little to his left or right, reset his feet, move just enough to make the edge rusher miss his spot, and then get the ball out. He doesn’t have to leave the pocket to avoid pressure. Yes, he got a lot of pressure last year, but look at what he was able to do statistically despite that. It’s because he’s able to do all of that without leaving the pocket.
Playing on time might be the biggest takeaway
Goff plays on time. This might be the biggest thing Daniels can take from him. Goff is at his best when everything is happening on schedule. Drop, read, hitch, throw. There’s not a lot of wasted movement. There’s not a lot of running around waiting for something to happen. Goff trusts the play, trusts where his receiver is supposed to be, and gets the football there.
That’s a skill that becomes more important as quarterbacks get older, too. Daniels’ athleticism is always going to be a massive part of what makes him special, but you don’t want your quarterback taking off 10 times every Sunday forever. You don’t want him exposing himself to unnecessary hits when there’s an easier answer sitting 5 yards downfield. Goff has made a career out of finding the guy 5 yards downfield.
Daniels doesn’t want to become Jared Goff. He’s watching Goff because Goff is really good at the part of quarterbacking that Daniels’ ridiculous athleticism sometimes makes optional. If Daniels can take some of Goff’s pocket movement, anticipation, and ability to play on time and add that to everything he can already do with his legs, that’s where things get pretty scary. With Blough running Washington’s offense after spending years with Goff and Stafford in Detroit, it probably isn’t a coincidence. Blough already knows what Goff and Stafford do well. Now he might be trying to install some of that into Jayden Daniels. And if Daniels can pick it up, he could be an MVP-level quarterback.
Detroit Lions News