Team owner Josh Harris wasn’t short of a few words about the futures of Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, following last season’s 5-12 disaster.
Speaking at the NFL’s annual owners meeting, Harris told reporters on Monday, March 30 how “Dan and Adam have my confidence,” per ESPN’s John Keim. The latter also reported Harris made it clear “no one was happy with last season but we immediately got on it.”
Harris said “Dan and Adam have my confidence”. Also said “no one was happy with last season but we immediately got on it.” Said a lot of injuries but “no excuses. Knew we had a lot of work to do.”
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 30, 2026
The proverbial vote of confidence from an owner is usually dreaded by coaches and GMs around the league. Yet, both Quinn and Peters have retained free rein to rebuild last season’s roster as they see fit.
Harris graded how the pair performed during free agency, while lifting the curtain to reveal his own involvement in choosing players. Those revelations were part of wide-ranging comments that also addressed star quarterback Jayden Daniels participating in flag football.
The owner even included a soundbite or two about the team’s new stadium and pending uniform change.
Dan Quinn, Adam Peters Still Setting Direction
Quinn unsurprisingly agreed with his boss about the disappointment of winning only five games just one season after reaching the NFC Championship Game. The scale of the fall was so sudden and severe Quinn and Peters can only be grateful they still have the autonomy to set the direction for the franchise on the field.
Their freedom extends to final say on recruitment. Something Harris described when he admitted, “Generally I’m consulted, but generally I defer” to Quinn and Peters, per JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
Trusting his coach and front-office guru appears to have paid off for Harris. At least based on his own assessment of how well the Commanders have played this year’s veteran market, concluding, “Adam and Dan had a great free agency,” per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Josh Harris: "No one was happy with last season, and we wanted to make a lot of progress. We obviously made some changes. I think Adam and Dan had a great free agency."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 30, 2026
While some may differ with his use of the word “great,” few can argue Harris didn’t do his bit to back this regime financially. Quinn and Peters were allowed to rubber-stamp a $100 million investment in edge-rusher Odafe Oweh, while they also signed defensive ends K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu, along with nose tackle Tim Settle and linebacker Leo Chenal.
Each of those signings represent a serious commitment to getting better defensively. The process must start up front, but also adding slot cornerback Amik Robertson and tacking machine safety Nick Cross showed the Commanders were determined not to be thrifty on this side of the ball.
These players must form the nucleus of a unit better equipped to support Daniels’ efforts on offense. Only then will the Commanders have a team worthy of the new stadium Harris is still working to deliver in the right form.
Josh Harris Teases New Stadium Details, Uniform Changes and Jayden Daniels Thoughts
The new home being built on the site of the legendary RFK Stadium has special significance for longtime fans of the Commanders. Harris knows the importance of getting the details right, starting with the new stadium’s name.
There has been speculation U.S. President Donald Trump will push to have his name over the stadium, but Harris was emphatic any decision is still pending. As Harris put it, the Commanders are “four years away from finding a name/naming rights,” according to Keim.
Josh Harris said they are “four years” away from finding a name/naming rights for the new stadium.
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 30, 2026
What Harris could reveal is he’s “targeting 75k seats at the new stadium. Want all the best acts and events, specifically brings up Women’s World Cup,” per Finlay. The latter also reported Harris revealed “the new RFK Stadium will have an interesting shaped scoreboard.”
A few quirky design features can make the Commanders’ new home feel distinctive, but appearances on the field may need a more measured facelift. Specifically, altering the current uniforms to better reflect the most successful years in the history of the franchise.
Harris confirmed the plan is for the new unis to drop on Wednesday, April 15. The owner explained the intent behind the updated threads will be “honoring our past and looking to the future. … We’re going to continue to embrace our past, but update it,” according to Jhabvala.
Josh Harris, on the Commanders' new uniforms that will be revealed April 15: "The priority is honoring our past and looking to the future. … We're going to continue to embrace our past, but update it."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 30, 2026
As for what the uniforms will look like, Harris teased, “Some of the Super Bowl era uniforms … there are many ways to honor the past.”
Emulating some of the triumphs of Washington’s title-winning past is the best way to honor history, but the Commanders need Daniels healthy to be true contenders.
His health is always a topic of conversation, but the discussion was intensified when Daniels took the risk of performing in a flag football exhibition pitting NFL stars against Team USA.
Daniels took to the field and even played some wide receiver, mere months after dislocating his elbow. Harris admitted to being “a little nervous” about Daniels, but “we have a lot of confidence in Jayden. … I’m glad we got through that one. He’s our guy,” per “Last Man Standig” author and podcast host Ben Standig.
Josh Harris said he wouldn't deny he was "a little nervous" with Jayden Daniels playing in the flag football game, but "we have a lot of confidence in Jayden. … I'm glad we got through that one. He's our guy."
Harris also said Daniels is an adult and he trusted his decision.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 30, 2026
Nerves about Daniels’ health won’t go away. Not until he proves he can overcome some bad habits, take less hits and stay on the field more often.
Daniels will remain the key to Harris’ ambitious vision for the Commanders, but if he can’t stay healthy, Quinn and Peters will soon hear a different tone from the owner.
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