Jayden Daniels Reacts to Being Named Washington Commanders Starting Quarterback

The Washington Commanders' newly named starting quarterback feels blessed to have the opportunity to lead the team on the field.

Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders announced Monday that Jayden Daniels will be the starting quarterback this season.

It's not a result that surprises anyone, but the announcement is big regardless as the expectation becomes reality for the Commanders and general manager Adam Peters' first ever NFL Draft selection.

For Washington head coach Dan Quinn, the announcement is a culmination of the process the team started back in April when Daniels was first drafted, and was rooted in growth, competition, and earning everything - with nothing given.

Daniels said after the announcement he appreciates earning the job based on his NFL merits and not what he did in college with the Arizona State Sun Devils and LSU Tigers, where he won the Heisman Trophy.

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Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

"(It's) just a blessing that DQ and AP trust me to go out there and lead the team, lead the franchise to hopefully win some games," Daniels said in his press conference following the announcement. "So big ups to them. It's a blessing. Something I dreamt about as a kid to be at this moment, to experience this moment."

Daniels also called the experience surreal, thanking God as well as his family and teammates - basically everyone who has supported or helped him along the way.

Unlike No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, who the Chicago Bears crowned internally before drafting and externally not long after, Daniels was expected to prove he was ready for the job before getting it. Something he says he appreciates, and speaks to the authenticity in both Peters and Quinn.

"Everything in life - you got to earn it. Nothing's given," Daniels said. "You got to earn your right to stay. You got to earn your right on the field in the position. So to be able to go out there and compete, it makes everybody better. So what they preach, they hold true to that."

And that means Daniels will get to compete even more. Maybe not as much in the team's preseason finale this Sunday, but in the regular season, where it'll start with Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and end as far as Daniels, Quinn, Peters, and all the Commanders involved can take the franchise.

“A blessing that DQ and AP trust me to lead the team,” Jayden Daniels says after being announced as the Washington Commanders starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/atqyxGvrJo

— David Harrison (@DHarrison82) August 19, 2024

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