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John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders finally made official what has been expected since the NFL draft: Jayden Daniels is their starting quarterback.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced the move Monday, though Daniels, the second overall pick in April, had been working with the first team exclusively in training camp for the past three weeks.
Before that time, Marcus Mariota was usually the first to go in at quarterback, though Daniels would take snaps with the starters in both full-team work and 7-on-7 drills.
Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner, also started both of the first two preseason games; Mariota was unavailable to play Saturday in Miami because of a hamstring issue but that didn’t impact Daniels’ status.
In two preseason games, Daniels completed 12-of-15 passes for 123 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass but did score on a three-yard run against the New York Jets on a zone read.
Against New York, he completed a 42-yard pass to receiver Dyami Brown after checking out of a screen pass based on the coverage. Saturday, Daniels completed 10-of-12 passes for 78 yards, featuring a quick release that avoided pressure on multiple rushes and prevented him from being hit in the pocket. Daniels’ average time before throwing against the Dolphins was 2.02 seconds according to Next Gen Stats.
Since his arrival, Daniels has been praised by teammates and coaches for his ball placement and accuracy — both have shown up in games as well; his work ethic; his poise in the pocket and a personality that draws in teammates. Quinn has said Daniels has a mix of “humility and swagger.”
Washington fell in love with Daniels early in the draft process but kept its intentions to draft him quiet, though he was the player numerous coaches and executives outside of Washington said should be the pick. The Commanders wanted to make sure not to overlook others — just in case the Chicago Bears did the unexpected and bypassed Caleb Williams for Daniels.
The qualities that stood out to Washington before the draft are the same ones they’ve praised since he joined the team.
But the team wanted to make sure Daniels was ready.