The Commanders made a bold move by selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels as the second overall pick in last month’s draft, signaling that he’s a key part of their long-term plans. But there’s still some uncertainty about when Daniels will actually take the field as the team’s starting quarterback.
Daniels spoke about his role in the upcoming season during an appearance on the “All Facts No Brakes” podcast with Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson asked him if he thought he’d be the Week One starter. Daniels replied that while he is “confident in [his] abilities,” the final call isn’t his to make. Johnson pressed him further, asking if he expected the team to ease him into the role or start him right away.
Daniels responded by saying, “From what I heard, they said whenever I’m ready, I’m ready.” He added, “They didn’t say, ‘You have to start Week One.’ It’s more like, ‘When you feel ready, and we think you’re ready, that’s when you’ll go out there.'”
It’s hard to imagine Marcus Mariota being able to keep a high draft pick like Daniels on the bench for long, especially since the Commanders’ management sees Daniels’ rise as the beginning of a new, brighter era for the team. While Daniels may not be a fully polished product yet, it seems likely that the Commanders will let him develop on the field, learning by playing.
