The Washington Commanders selected reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft in hopes that he could serve as their quarterback of the future as well as help the team immediately. And based on some recent comments from head coach Dan Quinn, it sounds like that’s exactly what the team thinks they got in Daniels.
During a recent interview with Jim Rome, Commanders new head coach Dan Quinn did not hold back in heaping praise on his rookie quarterback as he claimed that Jayden Daniels has the “hunger” of a rookie but the “swagger” of a much more veteran player.
“I think I said it recently and I think this sums it up right: He has the humility and kind of the hunger of the young player — ‘I’ve got a lot to prove, I’ve still got a lot to learn.’ But he also has the swagger and calmness of a veteran player,” Quinn said. “So I think those 50-plus starts from ASU and LSU, that seems to come about. You see him on the field and in the huddle, that’s where he’s at his best.
“He worked really hard to learn the system. I would say probably one advantage of starting something new, all the other players haven’t been in the system for three, four, five years where they just knew it inside and out. So there was this collective learning going on together. But he was right there at the front of it.”
The Commanders have not yet named Daniels the starting quarterback as he is expected to compete with veteran Marcus Mariota for the role this offseason. But based on the way Quinn is talking about the rookie quarterback, it sounds like he will indeed be the starter for the team this upcoming season.
About Kevin Harrish