Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn named rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels as the team's starting quarterback, and he is now slated to start on opening day on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It is not a huge surprise, as Jayden Daniels was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has been listed atop the quarterback depth chart for the Commanders in the preseason. Daniels also has a lot of experience playing the position in college in comparison to many other prospects.
Now there is no shadow of doubt regarding who will start for the Commanders in Week 1. We will get a look at who might be the next franchise quarterback for Washington right away. Daniels opened up on the opportunity.
“It's a blessing. I've dreamt of this since I was a kid,” Daniels said, via JP Finlay of NBC 4 Sports.
It will be an interesting test for Daniels, who is going up against a Buccaneers defense that has some good talent on it, and made a trip to the playoffs last season. As mentioned before, Daniels has plenty of experience at the college level, and is viewed as a player who could translate pretty much right away. The Commanders are betting on him becoming a franchise quarterback, and Week 1 provides an opportunity to make a statement right away.
Commanders' Jayden Daniels one of few rookie QBs who should start
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As mentioned before, it is not a surprise that Daniels earned the starting job for the Commanders. He is one of the three first-round quarterbacks who are likely to start.
The first pick, Caleb Williams, is pretty much confirmed as the starter for the Chicago Bears, and that is not a shock. Bo Nix is seemingly in line to be the starter for the Denver Broncos as well, which is not a huge surprise given his time in college as well.
Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy are all not likely to start. New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo indicated that Maye is still in a competition with Jacoby Brissett. Penix is essentially a lock to sit behind Kirk Cousins this season, and McCarthy is out for the year with a meniscus injury.
Daniels will have the chance to immediately change the trajectory of the Commanders' franchise this season, and it will be interesting to see how he fares as he gets the starting job right away.