ASHBURN, Va. — New Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has not wasted any time getting to work since he was chosen with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. Whether he wants it or not, he will likely be the savior or the scapegoat of the Washington franchise. That's just the reality of the situation as the Commanders look to turn a new page. What we know already is his attitude is a proper one.
"I ain't a star quarterback yet, I got a long way to go. I'm a rookie," he said Wednesday.
Daniels has dreamed about playing at quarterback in the NFL since he can remember, and he is doing everything he can to be a successful one. That includes showing up early to minicamp in Ashburn, Virginia.
"The other day I got here early. I mean, I was here at probably 6:30," said guard Nick Allegretti. "He was loop on walking out of the locker room. You start to doubt yourself a little. You think you're one of the early guys, and it looked like he'd been here for a minute. He was bright-eyed, and I'm dragging in at 6:30. I'm going to work on it. Maybe get here at 6, see if I can beat him."
Daniels says he usually gets to the Commanders practice facility even earlier than that.
"I get here probably 5:45," he said. He uses that time to walk through the indoor facility, watch film and prepare for the day ahead.
"The work that you put in is the work that you're going to put out. If you really want to be successful, want to learn, want to be a pro at the highest level, you have to take knowledge from people, learn from their routines what will help them be successful," he said.
His teammates are taking notice.
"I don't think I've ever had a young quarterback come in and within the first week say, 'Hey, can we get this route after practice?' So it's exciting for me... You know they have a lot on their plate, but at the same time you know there's that open line of communication and he's not afraid to get that work in before or after practice and talk through things," said wide receiver Terry McLaurin. "It makes the growth part a lot quicker."
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing newstips@wusa9.com.
MORE WAYS TO GET WUSA9
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "WUSA9" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.