'I'm All About The Team' Says Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Following his first NFL practice Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels spoke about leadership and team goals.

Apr 24, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels reacts at the Play Football / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's a new time in Washington. The Commanders are looking to shed the tag of being one of the bottom feeders of the NFL and have done so by restructuring their front office, coaching staff, and roster.

One of the more important pieces for the Commanders was getting a franchise quarterback and they believe they found him in second overall pick Jayden Daniels.

READ MORE: First Reviews of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Coming In

This week, Daniels and the rest of his rookie class reported to practice for rookie minicamp. During portions the media were available to look in on practice, Daniels showed off exactly why the Commanders made him the second pick of the draft.

Following Friday's practice, Daniels spoke on his ability to help the Washington franchise now that he will become 'the guy' leading the way.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just a franchise that's eager," Daniels said. "To be able to go out there and try to help the team win football games. And obviously it's new, everything here. The DMV fan base, everybody, they want to see wins, they want to see excitement, want to see joy. So, hopefully, we could go out there and we could do it as a Commanders franchise, as a team. But you know that's way down the road. We worried about rookie minicamp and practice tomorrow."

Becoming a franchise QB is never easy, especially with it being his rookie year, and it will take time to learn how you will specifically become a leader within a locker room. But for Daniels, he just wants to remain true to who he is and let the rest come to him.

"Just being myself, being a hard worker. Don't try to be somebody I'm not, you know, people see real from fake, authentic and who's not," he continued. "So just go out there and just be myself. Try to make connections, you know, talk to people obviously. I'm 23. It's a lot of different age ranges in this locker room. So, trying to relate as much as possible. Show them I'm all about the team, I'm all about hard work and I'm just here to get better each and every day."

READ MORE: 'No Deal' - Daniels and Nabers Call Off Their Bet

The pressure is there for Daniels, but as he said, being his true authentic self will get him further and earn the trust and respect of those around him. Daniels will likely start the season as the Commanders' starting QB, so it will be imperative for him to hit the ground running when it comes to all aspects of being the guy who is looked to for leadership during good times and the not-so-good times.

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

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