Jayden Daniels trusting Commanders' approach to starting job

The Washington Commanders are seemingly in "no rush" to name rookie Jayden Daniels their starting quarterback over veteran Marcus Mariota ahead of their preseason opener at the New York Jets this coming Saturday afternoon.

It appears Daniels is just fine with the situation even though many expect he'll ultimately get the nod for the Week 1 matchup at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8.

"I trust them fully with their plan…bringing me along," Daniels said on Sunday, as shared by Ben Standig of The Athletic. "So, that’s up to them at this point. But for me, I just go out there and [say], 'How can I better myself each and every day?' And just go out there and compete hard."

Per Michael Baca of the NFL's website, Washington head coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Sunday that Daniels will see at least some action against the Jets. It's unclear if Daniels or Mariota will take more snaps at MetLife Stadium as the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft looks to grow more comfortable with his new offense.

"I still got some way to go," Daniels said Sunday about his ongoing development. "Just little stuff. Go out there and still compete."

Judging by Quinn's comments on his quarterback room since this spring, it seems likely neither Daniels nor Mariota will win the starting job by the beginning of Washington's exhibition matchup at the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 17. Daniels first is focused on how "excited" he is to play against a live NFL defense for the first time this weekend.

"Going out there will be a different challenge, for not just me but for the whole team, going against somebody you're not familiar with," Daniels said about the Jets game. "(We'll) see where the cards fall knowing that we can go out there and we can make mistakes. We try to execute at a high level, but that's kind of what this time is for, to go out there and see what we can do and what we can't do. Trial and error, and move forward."

While Quinn and other coaches understandably won't say so out loud, logic suggests they're hoping Daniels will emerge as the clear starter by the time the Commanders finish the Miami game on the third Saturday of the month. That scenario playing out would give the first-year pro plenty of time to focus on facing Tampa Bay in Week 1.