'Business As Usual': Commanders' Jayden Daniels Growing Into Leadership

Earlier this week, the Washington Commanders named rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels the starting quarterback headed into the regular season. Coach Dan Quinn said that he has earned the opportunity and the Commanders were moving forward with the No. 2 overall pick under center.

The former LSU star, and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, has done and said all the right things since joining the team following the draft. When he was told he had to earn the job, he relished the opportunity and rose to the occasion.

Now that he’s won the starting job, Daniels is treating every day “business as usual” in his preparation.

“I just say I'm a rookie, so I gotta come out here and prove it,” Daniels said. “What I did in college doesn't matter. There are guys that's been in this league that are proven, so for me it's just knowing my role. They weren't looking at me because I got drafted where I got drafted to come here and be a leader.

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“We got great veterans around and like I said, even Marcus Mariota, for him be able to go out there and take me under his wing, helped help mold me to be prepared, stuff like that. Giving me pointers after plays or we might see this look, you might have to do this and stuff like that. So, we got great veterans around.”

With impassioned cheerleader Quinn on his side, and the veteran leadership behind him in Mariota, it’s only helped Daniels to develop faster and prove he deserves the starting job.

He will lead the team to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers in the regular season opener on Sept. 8.