Commanders’ Jayden Daniels named starting QB for Week 1 vs. Buccaneers; how top draft pick earned No. 1 job

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.

“No, I like competing,” Daniels said July 26. “I’m a competitor, so regardless if I was announced the starter or not, you still got to compete. You still can’t be content of your job, comfortable. I think it is just your job to seal the deal. You got to go out there and compete. So for me it’s not a problem at all. I like competing, that’s up to [Dan Quinn] and [Adam Peters] for the decisions and stuff like that. But for me, I can control how hard I go out there and practice and how I compete.”

Daniels was named the Commanders’ starter on the team’s unofficial preseason Week 1 depth chart on Aug. 6, with Quinn saying, “I’d say he’s definitely surpassed even my expectations of readiness, command.” Quinn also said Daniels’ work ethic has helped players gravitate towards him.

Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and ran for 1,134 last season at LSU, racking up 50 total touchdowns en route to winning college football’s highest individual honor. He completed over 72% of his passes and threw just four interceptions. That sort of accuracy has been on display throughout training camp and the preseason.

“He’s putting the ball in places where it makes our job so much more easier, because he is putting it where only you can get it and the defender has no play on it,” wide receiver Jahan Dotson said in late July. “You truly got to cherish stuff like that and be thankful for it, because not everyone can do that. He’s a special talent, and he’s showing you guys — he is showing us each and every day — and we’re just excited that he’s on our side.”

Daniels will be the Commanders’ eighth straight different Week 1 quarterback, following Sam Howell (2023), Carson Wentz (2022), Ryan Fitzpatrick (2021), Dwayne Haskins (2020), Case Keenum (2019), Alex Smith (2018) and Kirk Cousins (2017).