Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn raised some eyebrows when he said at the end of the club’s mandatory minicamp last week that he wasn’t yet ready to name rookie Jayden Daniels his starting quarterback over veteran Marcus Mariota.
For a piece published on Monday, John Keim of ESPN shared what Quinn and Co. want to see from Daniels during training camp and the preseason.
“There is much more to learn and more situations for Daniels to endure,” Keim explained. “He still must face defenses designed to fool him; he still must prove he can consistently make the necessary tight-window throws, particularly in the red zone. And how will he handle an NFL pass rush once the pads go on?”
Daniels acknowledged ahead of the weekend that he isn’t “a star quarterback yet,” but he received widespread praise throughout the spring from teammates such as wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a work ethic that included the first-year pro arriving at the team facility at around 5:45 a.m. on practice days.