Commanders head coach Dan Quinn named Jayden Daniels the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback on Monday, making official what has long seemed inevitable, or close to it.
Washington faces Tampa Bay in Week 1, on Sept. 8.
The announcement comes two days after Daniels went 10-for-12 for 78 yards and added 13 yards on the ground in the team’s second preseason game against the Dolphins . Daniels led Washington into scoring position on both of his two drives, which ended in field goal attempts. In Week 1 of the preseason against the Jets , Daniels scored a touchdown on a 3-yard keeper on his lone drive.
Daniels has received strong praise during his short time with the franchise. The No. 2 overall pick and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner started training camp splitting first-team reps with veteran Marcus Mariota , with Mariota getting slightly more reps with the starters at the very outset. Daniels, however, did not mind the “competition” (it’s a stretch to even call it that), and he started receiving the lion’s share of first-team reps by the second week of camp. He has taken almost every such rep since.