Jayden Daniels made his coach happy with a simple request. He asked Dan Quinn if he could start working with newly signed receiver Noah Brown right away after practice, aiming to get him up to speed quickly.
“That’s exactly what you’d hope to hear from a player: ‘Why would we wait till Monday when I can start on this today?’” Quinn said. “Jayden has that mindset to him.”
This is just one example of how the Washington Commanders’ rookie quarterback is showing he’s ready for the job as their starter ahead of his NFL debut on September 8 at Tampa Bay.
The No. 2 pick from LSU continues to demonstrate the maturity that has convinced Quinn, the coaching staff, and the organization that he’s ready to start right away in Week 1.
Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player, is facing high expectations but keeping his goals realistic.
“It’s not going to be a finished product Week 1, but just try to get better and go out there and go through some growing pains,” Daniels said Thursday.
“You know you’re a rookie. You’re not going to have everything perfect. You can strive for perfection, but it’s not going to be perfect. It’s going to be ups and downs.”
Daniels is one of three rookie quarterbacks set to start the season, along with Caleb Williams of Chicago, the top pick in the draft, and Bo Nix of Denver, the 12th pick.
Earlier Thursday, New England chose Jacoby Brissett—who was with Washington last season but didn’t play—as the starter over No. 3 pick Drake Maye, while Michael Penix will back up Kirk Cousins after being picked eighth. Minnesota’s JJ McCarthy is out for the season with an injury.
“I’ll just go out there and just play ball,” Daniels said. “To have the chance to play my first professional football game in the regular season means a lot—not only to me but to my family as well.”
Quinn has cut back on practice time this week and is giving players an extended weekend off before they start getting ready for the Buccaneers. He wants his team and staff to take a break from football and enjoy the Labor Day holiday.
Despite the break, Daniels is already prepared for his opponents.
“Tampa Bay has a very strong defense,” Daniels said. “Todd Bowles has a great record as a defensive coordinator, and they have a smart veteran in Lavonte David leading the defense. We need to go out there and execute.”
During the offseason, Daniels shared first-team practice snaps with veteran Marcus Mariota. It became clear when training camp began that the rookie was set to be the starter—Washington’s eighth different quarterback to start a season in as many years.
After two preseason games and lots of practice, Quinn chose Daniels as the starter. Teammates have noticed nothing different since then.
“He took control of the huddle even without pads on,” said rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman, who is also expected to start. “When things picked up speed that second week, he kept going strong. I think the games and practices helped him get even better.”
“I’m excited to see what he’s going to do next week.”
