One hundred and two days after the Chicago Bears shared their decision, the Washington Commanders announced theirs.
Like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams in Chicago, No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels got the nod Monday to be the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback in 2024.
The big difference in timing raises the question: when should teams notify their squads?
It’s easy to run to one side or the other, to believe that rookie quarterbacks should be named immediately or to defend the time allotted to learning about a young prospect.
The reality, as coaches and executives across the league have told Yahoo Sports in recent weeks, is that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for bringing in a rookie quarterback.
There is no categorically “correct” way.
“At the macro level, it depends on the person and the situation,” one NFC general manager told Yahoo Sports. “And at the micro level, it still depends on the person and the situation, but the micro is about the intertwined complexities between the two.
“Most of the cases where really difficult things are done are similar.”
If the Commanders’ best option was to consider their macro and micro circumstances, they deserve credit for the approach they took leading up to Monday’s announcement that Daniels had earned his starting quarterback job.
The alternative, those who know him will say, does not suit him.
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Daniels’ work ethic has become so central to who and how he is that he may not even realize its true extent.
Of course, LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner became famous for arriving at the facility so early that coaches had to change his fingerprint access.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters admired the narrative so deeply that when all the other rookies received key chains from team personnel, Quinn and Peters kept Daniels’ to hand to him directly and noted that his access was for “24 hours.”
Still, Daniels’ response when Quinn handed him the keys this week is pretty surprising.
Who did he call first after Quinn came into the quarterback room to tell him he had won the starting job?
“Nobody, really,” he told reporters at a news conference on Monday. “We had meetings, so I couldn’t do all that. I’m pretty sure my phone is blowing up right now.”
The decision not to celebrate immediately was a small one, but it reflects why the Commanders believe in Daniels and also why the longer path to naming him quarterback suits him.
Daniels didn’t look at his stats of 40 touchdowns and four interceptions from last season and believe that was a ticket to being a starter in the NFL, instead insisting Monday that “what I did in college doesn’t matter.”
He didn’t view his 12-of-15 passing line for 123 yards in two preseason games as a sign he was destined to command September groups, nor his rushing touchdown as a sign he deserved to be released.
“I’m a rookie, so I have to come in here and prove it,” Daniels said. “If DQ and the others were going to preach competition and that you have to earn everything, they can’t come in here and give me the job right away.
“You have to earn it.”
Daniels has done it. Now what?
Commanders haven’t handed over all the command to Daniels, and that’s a good thing
When the Commanders visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8, expect Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to emphasize “getting the ball into the hands of key players as quickly as possible,” Daniels said.
Washington wants a physical offensive line and a reliable running game to anchor an offense that will ultimately also open up deep throws for Daniels like the 42-yard pass he found Dyami Brown in the first quarter of his preseason debut.
The Commanders want Daniels to utilize his arms and legs equally, the threat of his mobility making him the equivalent of two players for defenses to defend in what Quinn sees as a weekly mathematical mismatch.
Washington looked to bolster its supporting cast and Daniels’ protection with veteran acquisitions in center Tyler Biadasz, left guard Nick Allegretti, tight end Zach Ertz and running back Austin Ekeler.
The addition of quarterback Marcus Mariota gave Daniels a mentor who experienced the pressure of being a Heisman winner who became the second overall pick. He understood the football transition and expectations.
Daniels saw how Mariota “felt like he had to wear the cape” and, in turn, understands how Quinn is trying to distribute that pressure.
Quinn was intentional on Monday in saying not only what Daniels is but also what he is not.
Is Daniels the Commanders’ starting quarterback? As of Monday, he is. Does Washington expect him to work hard, compete tirelessly and be a great teammate? Yes, yes, yes, but there’s a problem.
“He has to play his position well and be a great teammate,” Quinn said. “He doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.”
It was an unusual line to hear from a coach, but Quinn didn’t say it lightly.
Quinn spoke to coaches, including three-time Super Bowl champion Washington head coach Joe Gibbs, about how necessary it was for a quarterback to immediately become a vocal leader in the traditional sense.
Quinn’s conclusion, in his first coaching opportunity with a young, developing quarterback: No.
“It was interesting to learn that if you’re going to draft someone, they don’t have to be the team’s leader (voice) right away,” Quinn told Yahoo Sports during an interview in June. “If you push someone into a leadership role that’s not ready or anoint someone who’s not a leader, both of those things can backfire because you have to earn it, prove it and show it.
“It usually resolves if someone has those traits and pushes them and develops them.”
Daniels will continue to command respect for his game and his work in Washington. He will continue to share responsibility with his coaching staff and teammates, especially those who are much older than him.
It won’t be a surprise to the franchise if, like the battle path he traveled as a quarterback, Daniels’ leadership role continues to expand over time.
Expect the conversation between Quinn and Daniels to play out similarly to Monday’s discussion in the quarterbacks room.
“Man, I’m going to name you the starter today,” Quinn told Daniels. “Our entire program’s name is going to be in competition. And you’ve done it and you’ve earned it.”
“It’s a great moment. One that you have completely earned.”