ASHBURN, Va. -- Jayden Daniels looked the same as he always has on the field. He smiled and laughed between drills; he even mimicked basketball moves on occasion -- pump fakes before shooting and spinning around defenders. Then, once practice started, the second-year Washington Commanders quarterback threw the ball just like he had last season, when he set records and established himself as one of the NFL's top quarterbacks.
The comments about him from coaches and teammates remained the same as well: He's smart, he's savvy, he's in control.
It's all what the Commanders expected to see during the first week of OTA practices last week, and it's why they are excited to see what he does for an encore this season.
"He is very highly motivated, and that's always exciting for the organization," Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. "Just watching him move around, he's not thinking as much, he's playing fast and letting his natural gifts kind of take over, and that's what we want to see. I expect him to take a big jump."
That would take some work considering how he played in his first professional season. The No. 2 pick in 2024 earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after passing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, and rushing for another 891 yards and six scores, while leading Washington to a 12-5 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
He also finished with the NFL's fourth-highest total QBR.
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