The Washington Commanders are just a few days away from kicking off their first preseason game.
While the club’s contest against the New York Jets on Saturday is only an exhibition game, it marks the beginning of a new era with the franchise. The team has turned things around from top to bottom, and they’re moving forward with new ownership, a new general manager and a fresh coaching staff.
In addition to the franchise changes, the Commanders completely reset the roster, too, and will now be led by No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. The Heisman-winning LSU product projects to be a franchise quarterback for Washington.
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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was high on Daniels heading into training camp, but the dual-threat quarterback has surprised him.
“I had high expectations for him coming in,” Quinn said. “He’s definitely surpassed even my expectations of the readiness, the command.”
As mentioned, Daniels has absolutely leaned into the challenges he’s facing, and it’s making him a much, much better player. The success during his rookie season is going to reflect that, too.
“I knew he was going to be cool knowing the system,” Quinn continued. “He’s just got that way about him. But you do see the other players gravitate toward him. They recognize how hard he’s worked at it.”
Daniels is going to be handed the keys to the franchise, so knowing and understanding the system early will allow Washington to put their full trust in the rookie quarterback as soon as possible.
It’s been three years since the Commanders have been in the postseason, and fans are expecting the 23-year-old quarterback to be the one to turn things around in the DMV.
Quinn and Daniels working together to establish a culture within the franchise could be huge as the Commanders look to turn a new leaf.
READ MORE: Washington Commanders Coach Kliff Kingsbury ‘Couldn’t Be More Pleased’ With Backfield
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
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