The Washington Commanders completed their three-day minicamp on Thursday and are off for six weeks until training camp begins.
Head coach Dan Quinn met with the media before Thursday’s practice to discuss the end of the offseason. To say Quinn is pleased with his team and happy to be a head coach again would be an understatement.
The assumption is that when Washington used the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 2024 NFL draft, he’d be the immediate starter. While that’s still the probable outcome, Quinn wasn’t quite yet ready to name a starter.
“Well, in true competition, that’s why we set it up as we did to have (QB) Marcus (Mariota) have some and Jayden to have some,” Quinn said in response to being asked about Daniels receiving first-team reps in the offseason.
“So, no great declarations other than like being true to who we are as competitors. There’s no doubt that Jayden’s making unbelievable progress here, and we’ll have a really fun camp, but he’s earned that opportunity to go compete. We wouldn’t have given him those spaces and those times and those reps if he hadn’t.”
What do we make of what Quinn said? Nothing. This has been the theme of the offseason: Competition. What would Quinn gain by saying Daniels is the starter now? Everyone knows Daniels will be under center for the Commanders this season, and likely in Week 1.
