Commander Country

Commanders Hope to Give Rookies More Playing Time

The Washington Commanders are looking to play their rookies more.

Jeremy Brener

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Christian offensive lineman Brandon Coleman (OL12) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Christian offensive lineman Brandon Coleman (OL12) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders have thrown first-round rookie Jayden Daniels into the fire by making him the Week 1 starting quarterback.

However, they have taken a more methodical approach for second-round defensive tackle Johnny Newton and third-round offensive tackle Brandon Coleman.

Newton sat out of the opener, but played 12 snaps in a win against the New York Giants while Coleman has gotten a few drives of action in both games so far. Coach Dan Quinn hopes to ingratiate them more into the system and give them more playing time as the season rolls along.

"Those two guys need reps in playing time and so I'm glad that the trajectory's finally here," Quinn said. "We had to battle through some of the injuries early on with both of them, but we knew at the time, if you guys remember what I was talking about, we knew this wasn't season-ending and those kind of things. And it was frustrating at the time for them and for us. But the good news is now, okay, those are behind us and we're moving forward and they're gaining more experience as we're going."

The more reps Newton and Coleman get, the better off they will be as individual players and the team as a whole. They represent the future for the Commanders, so the more growth they have will be a welcomed sign for the team.

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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Jeremy Brener

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.

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