Commanders name Jayden Daniels starter on first unofficial depth chart, QB will start against Jets
ASHBURN, Va. — Dan Quinn said Tuesday morning that No. 2 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels is the Commanders’ starting quarterback on the team’s first unofficial depth chart, and Daniels will start Saturday’s preseason opener against the Jets.
“I had high expectations for him coming in, but I’d say he’s definitely surpassed even my expectations of readiness, command,” Quinn said. “I knew he was gonna be cool knowing the system. He’s just got that way about him. You do see the other players gravitate towards him; they recognize how hard he’s worked at it.”
This was long the expected outcome, but Daniels and Marcus Mariota had split first-team reps for the first week of training camp, with Mariota often getting the first look with the starters. As July turned to August, though, Daniels started taking the lion’s share of first-team reps.
Daniels embraced the competition — he was in one just two years ago when he transferred from Arizona State to LSU, a testament to his remarkable rise in Baton Rouge — and thrived early on.
“No, I like competing,” Daniels said in late July. “I’m a competitor, so regardless if I was announced the starter or not, you still got to compete. You still can’t be content of your job, comfortable. I think it is just your job to seal the deal. You got to go out there and compete. So for me it’s not a problem at all. I like competing, that’s up to [Dan Quinn] and [Adam Peters] for the decisions and stuff like that. But for me, I can control how hard I go out there and practice and how I compete.”
Daniels has impressed teammates with his approach and his play, carrying over several of the habits he developed in college, such as arriving early to the team’s practice facility and using virtual reality technology to take extra mental reps. He has also picked the minds of plenty of veterans in between reps.
“With him, anything is possible, and he’s showing you that,” wide receiver Jahan Dotson said in late July. “Me and Terry [McLaurin], were just talking about it on the sideline. He’s putting the ball in places where it makes our job so much more easier, because he is putting it where only you can get it, and the defender has no play on it. You truly got to cherish stuff like that and be thankful for it, because not everyone can do that. He’s a special talent and he’s showing you guys, he is showing us each and every day, and we’re just excited that he’s on our side.”
Daniels was one of five quarterbacks selected in the first round of this year’s draft but one of just two who have the starter role at this point, with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of the Bears being the other.
