Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has his work cut out for him in his first season in the nation’s capital. His chores include determining when to start his prized rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. But Daniels will surely love Quinn’s review of new tight end Zach Ertz.
ESPN Commanders’ reporter John Keim posted a quote from Quinn on X about Ertz.
“The leadership for him I thought it would be good but it's been remarkable,” Quinn said. “He's not here to coach, but he has a presence, standards, that others can emulate. In the passing game he has a very good awareness, the nuances of a route.”
Those are exactly the things that will play well for a rookie who needs help getting up to NFL speed.
Commanders TE Zach Ertz says he was drawn to D.C.
Ertz signed with the Commanders back in March, before they had locked in Daniels. But Ertz already liked what he saw. He told si.com liked the coaching staff.
“Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and (offensive coordinator) Kliff Kingsbury are pretty much the main reasons that I'm here,” Ertz said. “These are guys that I truly believe are going to build long-term success at this place, and it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.”
And Ertz is especially high on Kingsbury, who coached him with the Cardinals.
“I think the job of any really good coach is to put the players in position to be successful, and no one does that better than Kliff in my opinion,” Ertz said. “He wants to put his guys in positions to make a lot of plays, whether it be running the ball or throwing the ball and catching the ball. He's going to do everything he can to put his guys in positions to be successful, and he's one of the best I've been around in that regards.”
Getting to play with a talent like Daniels is a bonus, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The two seemed to make a quick bond during OTAs as Daniels often found his potential season-long safety valve during practice sessions.
Ertz is an 11-year veteran with plenty of big seasons on his resume. He made three straight Pro Bowls for the Eagles from 2017-19. In those three seasons, he caught 278 passes for 2,903 yards and 22 touchdowns. He left Philly for Arizona during the 2021 season, but didn’t find as much success in the desert.
Ertz inked a one-year deal with the Commanders for up to $5 million.
What kind of progress is Daniels making?
While Quinn hasn’t given the keys to the car to Daniels just yet, it feels like a matter of time. And that matter of time should come before Week 1.
All D.C. eyes have been on Daniels ever since he joined the team, and the scrutiny will grow deeper as the season nears. Daniels is already the face of the franchise, one that hasn’t seen very many good days since the early 1990s. But he still has to prove himself — including to his coach, who told nbcwashington.com that Daniels must cross Ts and dot Is.
“It’s not a secret, but it is a journey and a process,” Quinn said. “As we’re going, when he’s ready, we will know. And when he’s ready, he’ll also know.”
The good news for Daniels is the competition isn’t strong. Marcus Mariota can be viewed as a decent backup, but is no longer coveted starting quarterback material.
Daniels said he’s focus on competing every day and having fun.
“We want to compete in everything that we do, so I’m out here just trying to do my job and that’s getting the 11 people on my side of the ball to go the same direction,” Daniels said.
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