Jayden Daniels 'Happy' to Have Commanders Veteran RB

The Washington Commanders paired Jayden Daniels in the backfield with veteran Austin Ekeler.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 31, 2024

Aug 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) warms up before the preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders knew they were going to get a young quarterback in the NFL Draft back in the early part of the offseason, so they made a concerted effort to get him some established skill players to help him out.

Among those to pitch in was former Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, and Jayden Daniels has benefitted already from having him in the fold.

"Yeah, another vet that played a lot of football," Daniels said. "Very savvy in the pass game, knows how to get open, can catch the ball naturally, and just picking his brain and just be able to communicate. He's a very hard worker, obviously everybody knows his background and his story of how he got here and he had to work and earn everything. So he has that approach each and every day. So, I'm happy to work alongside him too."

With Ekeler in the backfield next to Daniels, he'll always have a safety blanket to check down to if he's under duress. That can do a lot for Daniels and his confidence as he navigates his first year in the league.

The Commanders are set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener next Sunday, Sept. 8. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Published Aug 31, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.