ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders finally made official what had been expected since the NFL draft: Jayden Daniels is their starting quarterback.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced the move Monday, though Daniels, the second overall pick in April, had been working out with the first team exclusively in training camp for the past three weeks.
Before that point, Marcus Mariota was usually the first one in at quarterback, though Daniels played with the starters in both full-team work and 7-on-7 drills.
Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, also started the first two preseason games; Mariota was unavailable to play Saturday in Miami because of a hamstring issue, but that didn't affect Daniels' status.
In two preseason games, Daniels completed 12 of 15 passes for 123 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown pass, but he did score on a three-yard run against the New York Jets on a zone read.
Against New York, he completed a 42-yard pass to receiver Dyami Brown after passing a screen pass out of coverage. On Saturday, Daniels completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards, with a quick release that avoided pressure on multiple carries and kept him from getting hit in the pocket. Daniels’ average time before throwing against the Dolphins was 2.02 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.
Since his arrival, Daniels has been praised by teammates and coaches for his ball placement and accuracy (both qualities have been on display in games), his work ethic, his poise in the pocket and a personality that draws his teammates to him. Quinn has said Daniels has a mix of “humility and swagger.”
Washington fell in love with Daniels early in the draft process but kept its intentions to select him a secret, even though he was the player many coaches and executives outside of Washington said should be taken. The Commanders wanted to make sure they didn't overlook others, just in case the Chicago Bears did the unexpected and passed on Caleb Williams to select Daniels.
The qualities that stood out to Washington before the draft are the same ones he has praised since joining the team, but the team wanted to make sure Daniels was ready.
