Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is doing well to stay humble regardless of the hype hovering over his status this spring.
"I mean, I ain't a star quarterback yet," Daniels acknowledged on Wednesday, per Grant Gordon of the NFL's website. "I got a long way to go. I'm a rookie."
Before the Chicago Bears made USC quarterback Caleb Williams the first pick of the 2024 draft, some analysts named Daniels and not Williams the top overall prospect of this year's class. Washington happily grabbed Daniels via pick No. 2. He's impressed his coaches and new teammates with his work ethic, including the signal-caller arriving at the team facility at around 5:45 a.m. on practice days ahead of the club's summer break.
"I don’t think I’ve had a young quarterback that really has come in and within the first week be like, 'Hey, can we get this rep?' Or, 'Can we get this rep after practice?'" Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin said about Daniels during mandatory minicamp, via Ben Standig of The Athletic. "It’s exciting for me because that opens the door. There’s an open door of communication. He’s not afraid to get that work in."
While left guard Nick Allegretti added that Daniels is "around the facility a lot," he also described a first-year pro who understands his place even if that rookie seems on track to start the club's regular-season opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8.
"He’s talking and getting along with all the guys, but he’s not a super loud personality yet," Allegretti said about Daniels. "He’s taking it in a way that I think a lot of rookies should. Feeling it out, feeling what his role is and then, when he’s on the field, stepping up in that leadership role."
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Daniels second among the betting favorites at +600 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the upcoming season. Williams topped the list at +135 odds, but Daniels sounded focused on the task at hand while speaking on Wednesday.
"I'm just out here just doing my job," Daniels explained. "You know, how can I help the team get better each and every day and that's what I'm focused on."
Gordon noted that 12 quarterbacks have started at least one meaningful game for Washington since 2018. Daniels hopes to end the club's search for a long-term answer at the position, in part by ignoring outside noise through the inevitable ups and downs he'll experience this fall.
