The Commanders selected quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall and the returns during the offseason program were positive, according to head coach Dan Quinn.
In an interview with the Jim Rome Show, Quinn praised the way Daniels has handled his first several weeks with his new team.
“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.”
While it feels like the starting job is Daniels’ to lose, Quinn also noted that veteran Marcus Mariota was “excellent” throughout the offseason program.
“So to see that connection between he and Jayden, that’s been pretty cool to be a part of as well,” Quinn said.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023, throwing for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and four interceptions while also rushing for 1,134 yards with 10 TDs at LSU.