Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury shares surprising Jayden Daniels trait.
Across professional sports, rookie athletes such as Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels are often advised to be “seen but not heard” until they become more established locker room presences.
During the latest edition of The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury shared how Daniels traveled down a different path en route to building relationships with new teammates.
“I mean, he talks as much trash as anybody on the field,” Kingsbury said about Daniels. “Off the field, you’d never guess it. He gets going with everybody, (34-year-old linebacker) Bobby Wagner, the vets … But he shows up ready to work, and he attacks it with a great energy every day.”
It is worth noting that Daniels earned the respect of team leaders such as Wagner with the work ethic he displayed long before he made a highlight-reel play during a training camp practice. In June, wide receiver Terry McLaurin mentioned how “it seemed like [Daniels] knew the entire offense” early into springtime workouts. Daniels has also done well to remain humble amid an alleged competition with veteran Marcus Mariota for Washington’s QB1 job, a battle that the second pick of this year’s draft seemingly won even before this past Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.
Following Daniels’ cameo in the Jets game, multiple analysts mentioned how Kingsbury and other coaches must work with the first-year pro to ensure he can better protect himself when facing live defenses. Kingsbury indicated Daniels possesses the goods to silence such concerns, beginning with Washington’s Week 1 game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8.
“I would say his ability to progress through reads,” Kingsbury responded when asked during the podcast to name Daniels’ greatest strength. “A lot of times, young guys will get hung up on their first read and either throw it or run. He’s a guy who can get to a second, a third read. And [using] the running backs — you have to be able to find your checkdowns. He’s really excelling at that at an early age.”
Daniels may want to save the trash-talking for practices with teammates and follow in the footsteps of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck as it pertains to interactions with opposing players this coming fall. After all, the 23-year-old doesn’t need to put a target on his back as he competes for Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors.
