Jayden Daniels “Not Sure” About Starting for Commanders but Rookie QB Challenges Jets With His “Iron” Mentality Ahead of Preseason

The No. 2 draft pick of Washington Commanders in 2024, Jayden Daniels, has been all over the news since his signing. With the season almost a month away, he is eyeing the place of starting quarterback. Impressed by his practice sessions, coach Dan Quinn called him ‘an extremely motivated player.’ HC later announced that he would play against the New York Jets in their first preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 10. The only suspense remaining now is whether he will start or not.

While talking to reporters on the 4th of August, Daniels said he is unsure if he will be starting, he is fully prepared for everything. Aiming to challenge the Jets’ defense, his mindset looks as strong as Iron. He is confident and ready to take on the rivals and mentioned, “It’s my first one ever. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, so just go out there and have fun.” While the QB needs to gain some practical experience playing in the big league now, he is showing full faith in his abilities. His chances of getting sufficient gameplay time are very high. Let’s explore why we say that.

His performances during 2 years at LSU were magnificent. He finished the 2022 season with 2,913 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and a 144.5 passer rating. Picking it up in 2023, the QB had 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and a 208 passer rating. Commanders GM Adam Peters was stunned at his abilities when he watched the QB in a video. After picking him up for the franchise, Peters added, “The way he can process, the way he can see the field, the way he goes through his reads, the way he delivers [the ball] on time. He’s the best deep-ball thrower in the draft.” The Commanders have three more QBs, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel, and Sam Hartman.

The chances of Driskel and Hartman are almost negligible. Driskel has been in various teams in 8 seasons yet he has played only 24 games till the 2024 season. Hartman signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Mariota, though, is a serious contender for the starting berth. This will be his 10th NFL season and with 90 games under his belt, he has that necessary experience. Daniels has already expressed he doesn’t fear competition and said, “I like competing; I’m a competitor. Regardless of if I was announced the starter or not, you still gotta compete.” And both competed during the training camp.

In 11-on-11 practice sessions, Moriata was the 1st quarterback. However, Daniels also did well during the plays. The pressure is on Daniels to perform in the preseason games and if he does, he might become a favorite. It looks like both QBs will be rotated and will have to plan offenses together.  Now, everyone’s focus is on the Heisman Trophy winner.

Jayden Daniels receives support and applause from the locker room

During the training session, the rookie produced some magic with his offense. The deep ball which he made to WR Terry McLaurin was impressive. The QB needs a strong offensive system. He worked extensively with RBs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler during practice. The trio has worked on building confidence between themselves which will give them an extra edge in the season.

Not only offense, Jayden Daniels has found support from the defense also. Super Bowl Champion LB Bobby Wagner has seen various QBs in the last 10-12 years. Impressed with the young QB’s confidence, he said, “He’s very, very confident and you want that in the quarterback. As you watch him, he gets more comfortable understanding where the routes are going to be, getting comfortable with the receivers that he is throwing to.” Both belong to the same town and have bonded up well. The QB has found a useful guide in the LB.

The rookie understands his popularity depends on the upcoming season. Now that he is ready for the challenges, will he begin as the starting QB in the preseason and later in the regular season? Most fans believe Quinn has chosen him as No.1 but is delaying that on purpose. We’ll have to wait and watch.