Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is not entitled; he gets it.
In an interview this week with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, Gruden asked Daniels, “What advice would you give any rookie quarterback, coming into the NFL, after the success you have had?”
“I think probably the main thing I say is you got to earn everything, no matter where you got drafted at,” responded Daniels. “You still got to go in there as soon as you get drafted, as soon as you go in the locker room, you got to earn the respect of your teammates. Especially the vets, you know, they have been doing it at a high level for some time.”
Daniels continued, “They are going to look to you, ‘Ok, what is this kid made about (of)?’ “So, you just go ahead and keep a work ethic, and you go in there and respect your vets.”
Early reports from last spring’s offseason program indicated that Daniels conducted himself in much the same way. Veterans such as Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz were very impressed with what they saw in Daniels, the professional who was expected to become a leader of the offense, despite being a rookie.
Veteran and future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner spent some time with Daniels early. The results showed that instead of having a big head, being vain, thinking you have already arrived, Daniels must have listened to Wagner. Daniels was showing up early in the mornings, putting in extra work.
Daniels told Gruden last week that Wagner was like his big brother who took him under his wing. Daniels was refreshing when he said he realized early on that he did not know anything about the NFL and needed to rely on the veteran Wagner to learn how to watch film and take care of his body most effectively.
In the months leading up to training camp, Daniels apparently was not simply told he was the franchise quarterback, nor was he given the starting job immediately. When head coach Dan Quinn was asked about it, Quinn was clear: Daniels was doing the right things, but needed some more time before Quinn could name Daniels the starter.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this is how veteran backup Marcus Mariota responded to Daniels’ arrival. Had Daniels thought the world revolved around himself, how much different would Mariota’s response have been? Instead, Mariota publicly embraced being Daniels’ backup once Daniels became the starter.
Mariota, who had once been the NFL’s second overall draft pick in 2015, liked what he saw in Daniels as a leader and a hard-working professional. Mariota publicly accepted his role as QB2 and has already re-signed with the Commanders to serve as Daniels’ backup again in 2025.
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