Back in April, the Washington Commanders selected Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels with the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. It was a pick that seemingly signified the beginning of a new era of football in Washington, one marked by the arrival of young, dynamic franchise quarterback — the likes of which Washington has not employed since Robert Griffin III was selected 2nd overall twelve years prior. However, new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn may not be ready to usher in that new era yet… at least not officially.
As the Commanders wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp, Dan Quinn spoke to the media and made it clear that although Daniels is getting the majority of the first team reps, it will be an open competition for the starting quarterback job when the team returns for training camp in late-July.
“Dan Quinn not declaring a starting QB yet but says ‘no doubt' Jayden Daniels has made great progress,” tweets JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. “There will be a ‘competition' in camp but expect Jayden to continue getting the first team work and eventually be named QB1.”
Dan Quinn also noted that the plan entering the spring was to give first-team reps to both Daniels and 2015 2nd overall pick Marcus Mariota, and that despite the progress made by Daniels, nothing has been determined regarding who will be the starter. In addition to Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, the Commanders quarterback room currently consists of undrafted rookie Sam Hartman, and 31-year-old journeyman Jeff Driskel, who is 1-10 in his NFL career as a starter.
The Commanders 2024 season outlook
Assuming that Jayden Daniels secures the QB1 job — and despite everything I just laid out up above, that is a tremendously safe bet — there is plenty of reason for optimism and excitement among longtime fans of the Commanders. With a new coaching staff in the fold, an exciting rookie quarterback and an offense that should benefit from the additions of Austin Ekeler, Bobby Wagner and a handful of players on the defensive side of the ball, there's at least reason to believe that things are trending in the right direction in the nation's capital.
Of course, how far Washington goes in 2024 and beyond will ultimately depend on what kind of player Jayden Daniels ends up being. Twelve years ago, rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III took the league by storm, winning Rookie of the Year and leading Washington to the postseason for the first time in five years. Griffin would go on to suffer a major knee injury in Washington's playoff loss, and his career was never the same after that.
(Cut to everyone in Washington D.C. saying a quick prayer, hoping that Daniels' career trajectory doesn't mirror Griffin's.)
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