Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is coming off of possibly the greatest season by a rookie quarterback the NFL has ever seen.
While it will be a tough act to follow, Daniels is ready to get back on the field, and has the full belief of his coach Dan Quinn behind him. Quinn sat down with Dianna Russini of The Athletic for her Scoop City podcast, and talked a bit about Daniels as a competitor and a leader.
“I think that smile is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Quinn said. “He is an absolute dog competitor.”
Quinn described Daniels’s routine, and how his commitment to putting in the work helped set an example for the rest of the team.
“Very much an early morning person,” Quinn said of his QB. “Would rather go through everything before anybody even gets here. Well before the sun comes up, there’s been times looking out of the weight room, ‘Who’s walking off the field in the dark?’ It’s him. That’s a standard that other players have also appreciated from him.”
Jayden Daniels earned the respect of his teammates by putting in the work.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 23, 2025
And Dan Quinn believes the Commanders' locker room culture is set by the perfect blend of veteran experience and emerging leadership.
More with Washington's head coach: pic.twitter.com/REjNOuGNge
Quinn added that at first, some people inside Washington's camp were skeptical that Daniels could keep up his pace. Was all of this showing up early and staying late just the rookie trying to make a good first impression? Or a sign of how he is actually going to operate? In year two, the answer is clear.
“They found out that he has got a high capacity to put it in,” Quinn said. “They respect that. Guys like [linebacker Bobby] Wagner who are cut from the same cloth, they have bonded in that space.”
Quinn, Daniels and the Commanders are set to open their season at home on September 7 against the Giants.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Quinn Praises Jayden Daniels for Changing the Culture of Commanders Locker Room.
