WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Sensational as a rookie last season, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels revived the franchise while leading it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 33 seasons.
Not surprisingly, the team and its fans are eagerly anticipating his second act.
Daniels has inspired Washington and its supporters to dream big again, and longtime NFL observers believe the team’s future is bright. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has no issues with that assessment.
But Quinn also knows that Daniels still has steps to take in an effort to maximize his potential, and Quinn is most interested in that part of the journey. He’s also pleased to take it with Daniels.
“For him, some of the technique [things], like a lot of quarterbacks” is where Daniels has room for growth, Quinn told reporters Tuesday at the NFL annual meeting. “Footwork … body position … where to go … where to throw. We thought me made a lot of improvement [early on in the season], extending plays.
“They were extending [so Daniels could run], and then … extending to throw the ball down the field. But for him, the footwork side of things, that’s one that I know he’s gonna dig in hard on this year. If you’d ask a lot of quarterbacks, that’s where the power comes from, that’s where it’s at. So that’s one for sure that he’s digging in on.”
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Daniels will build on a strong foundation.
The second overall pick in the 2024 draft, Daniels was everything the Commanders hoped for – and much, much more.
Statistically, Daniels was both productive and efficient, making his selection as the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year a no-brainer. But he also displayed maturity beyond his years, mettle and a flair for the dramatic that breathed new life into Washington’s formerly despondent fan base. Daniels is an entertainer.
Most impressive, however, is that Daniels is a strong-willed competitor who treats others respectfully off the field, the Commanders say. Franchise legend Doug Williams summed it up best in an interview with Andscape early last season amid Daniels’ fast start, explaining, “The things he’s doing, he’s doing it because of the person he is. No matter what, he’s the same guy every day. He’s cool. He’s collected. That’s what I’m going to say about that.”
Of course, no one is perfect. And there’s an old saying in the NFL: If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.
Fortunately for the Commanders, Daniels wants to be the best. He’s willing to put in the work to reach his goal. And as a dual-threat quarterback, Daniels will continue to expand his repertoire to keep the competition guessing, Quinn believes.
“He’s established the throwing side. If he wasn’t a dynamic runner, he’d still be an excellent quarterback. That’s a really big deal,” Quinn said. “He adds the value of mobility, and being outside the pocket, creating on scrambles to run and on scrambles to pass.
“But if we had played him only as a pure pocket passer, he would still be excellent. So it does present challenges [for Commanders opponents]. Sometimes … teams wanted to try a certain unique thing, a spy [on Daniels] or what have you, but we’ll just continue to look at [ways to attack] that.”
Acquiring impact players on offense could assist in accelerating the young star’s development. With that in mind, the Commanders traded for former San Francisco 49ers standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
As a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler during the 2021-22 season, Samuel averaged an NFL-best 18.2 yard per reception while catching 77 passes for 1,405 yards with six touchdowns. He also had 365 rushing yards (with a 6.2-yard average) and eight rushing touchdowns.
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The Commanders envision Samuel and second-team All-Pro Terry McLaurin, who had the best season of his career in his first season teaming with Daniels, forming a receiving tandem that could be second to none. To be sure, Quinn is intrigued by the possibilities.
“This is an explosive player,” Quinn said of Samuel. “Sometimes you can tell the toughness of a player with and without the ball, and he has both of those, the explosive nature. To add a player of his caliber into a tough and strong group … we’re really pumped about it.”
After doing a great job in his first season coaching the Commanders, Quinn has many reasons to be pumped. But make no mistake, Daniels is atop the list.
And barring the unforeseen, the passer figures to remain there for a very long time.