After looking good in this weekend’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, Jayden Daniels has been named the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback for this season.
The rookie, who was the No. 2 pick in April’s NFL draft, completed 10 of 12 pass attempts for 78 yards, and new head coach Dan Quinn seemed impressed.
In fact, per Cameron Wolfe, Quinn nicknamed Daniels “California Cool” for how poised he has been.
“California Cool” Jayden Daniels officially named Commanders QB1.
I shared insight from my convos with Daniels & Quinn + visuals of his play last week that paint the picture of why Daniels is “ready” to be QB of NOW & the FUTURE.
From @nflnetwork The Insiders with @RapSheet: pic.twitter.com/DDaoT3LkbO
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 20, 2024
Wolfe noted the excellent ball placement Daniels showed against Miami and how quickly Daniels got the football out of his hands after the snap.
Daniels appears to have the ability to be a dual-threat quarterback in the pros — he had 13 yards and two rushes on Saturday, and at Louisiana State University last year, he logged 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
While the Commanders won’t be world-beaters or likely even a playoff team this year, Daniels will be able to enjoy the services of established wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who was a Pro Bowler in 2022 and has gone over the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last four seasons.
Washington has been a laughingstock for most of the last 30 years or so, but the winds of change started to blow last year when the controversial Daniel Snyder sold the team to a group led by billionaire investor Josh Harris and NBA great Magic Johnson.
Now, they could very well have a true franchise quarterback for the next decade or more, not to mention the man who could take them back to the heights they consistently enjoyed in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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Commanders Announce 2 Roster Moves