Commanders banking on continuity to keep Jayden Daniels from Year 2 crash

When the Washington Commanders entered training camp last summer, they felt very good about their quarterback room. But there were still questions. There had to be.

The presumptive starter was a rookie who had yet to take a snap in the NFL. Everything Jayden Daniels had done up to that point had been exemplary. Still, no one knew for sure.

General manager Adam Peters invested in a quality veteran to fill in should the rookie need a little more time. Like Daniels, Marcus Mariota had once been a highly-touted No. 2 overall draft pick. He had played well at times but had never become a star.

No longer young, Mariota was on board to be a mentor and a potential starter if the Daniels experiment went south.

Jump ahead one year. As the Commanders get ready for Daniels’ second training camp, no such questions remain.

Washington, which had completely overhauled its quarterback room after Peters took charge, made minimal changes in 2025. The pecking order is now carved in stone. Daniels is the undisputed alpha. Mariota is the elite-level backup. The third spot may be up for grabs behind them, but it’s safe to say that the Commanders currently have just about the best quarterback setup in the entire league.

How will the Commanders build on the successful quarterback play of 2024?

Indeed, the Commanders begin the 2025 campaign with certainty at quarterback which they have not experienced since the final days of Kirk Cousins. Daniels is better, and Mariota is better than anyone who backed up the former Michigan State signal-caller throughout the mid-2010s.

The franchise has seen its fair share of loaded quarterback rooms. From Sammy Baugh and Frankie Filchock in the 1930s/1940s to Sonny, Billy, and Joe in the 1970s, Washington fans have witnessed some exceptional signal callers. In 2012, it looked as if Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins might replicate that success, but it was not to be.

In recent times, it has been a dice roll on some tarnished veteran or inexperienced youngster. The results were average at best, and miserable at worst.

With Daniels’ record-shattering NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year season in the books, can the Commanders’ quarterbacks perform at an even higher level this year? Yes, provided potential problems are addressed.

Peters spent part of the offseason making sure Daniels would have the tools he needs to thrive in 2025 and beyond. He traded for one elite offensive tackle in Laremy Tunsil and drafted another potential star in Josh Conerly Jr. They figure to be the Commanders' bookend outside protectors.

Washington will have to weather the loss of guard Sam Cosmi, who could miss the entire season while recovering from an ACL tear. But Peters’ moves have provided adequate depth. Should the prolific right guard return this season, the Commanders could have their best offensive line since the glory days of the Hogs.

The Commanders also acquired Deebo Samuel Sr. to serve as a legit WR2 — a piece the team missed in 2024. He re-upped tight end Zach Ertz, who should serve as a strong bridge to the emerging Ben Sinnott. Barring the unforeseen, Washington’s offense should be even better than last season.

Peters and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury each have one main job to do before the season starts to ensure Daniels’ success. The front-office leader must re-sign top receiver Terry McLaurin. And the play-caller needs to develop a more reliable running game independent of his dynamic quarterback. The second-year star should still be a lethal running threat, but he has to run less than he did during his rookie campaign.

Then it is all up to Daniels, and there is nothing to suggest he won’t thrive.

His rookie performance was exceptional, but it did not come out of nowhere. Daniels has been evolving his game for many years, getting better and better at all facets. His meteoric rise was no fluke — just a young player living up to his potential.

He does that because he is a tireless preparer and a humble leader. How many times did we see him laughing during moments of the highest stress, and then stop laughing long enough to make a game-winning play? Daniels is comfortable in his skin, and that suggests he will continue to grow.

He also has excellent coaches around him, another by-product of a franchise finally being run by genuine professionals. If Daniels has another strong season in 2024, look for his quarterbacks coach, Tavita Pritchard, to land a coordinator job somewhere. That is why the Commanders proactively hired former pro David Blough to assist. A succession plan is already in place.

Mariota almost certainly could have signed a deal with a quarterback-hungry team that would have given him a chance to compete for the starting job. But he chose to remain in Washington, where he is a backup. That speaks very highly for the franchise.

He is big and athletic enough to run special plays even if Daniels remains healthy all season. If the former Oregon Duck star has to start some games, he proved in 2024 that he is fully capable of doing that at a very high level.

This is not like the RGIII-Cousins quagmire. Both of those quarterbacks were young. Both wanted to start. In the end, both left Washington long before their time was up.

The current pecking order is much more defined. There will be no conflict.

Just about the only drama that remains (besides re-signing McLaurin) comes from the third quarterback slot. Journeyman Josh Johnson was signed this offseason to compete with second-year fan favorite Sam Hartman for that clipboard-holding job. As third quarterbacks go, those are decent choices.

Johnson can step onto the field and perform at a moment’s notice. He did those very things for Washington back in 2018. Hartman, on the other hand, is the underdog kid who everyone loves to root for.

The undrafted free agent has a killer arm and cover-boy looks. If he can develop his game, especially his ability to read defenses without staring down receivers, he could be an excellent developmental prospect.

Peters and Dan Quinn would probably prefer to go with the younger Hartman. But if he isn’t up to it, Johnson would be a very respectable deep option.

Daniels may regress a bit after such a stellar rookie season. It would not be the first time that has happened, nor would it be a cause for concern. The Commanders’ quarterback room is once again among the league’s best.

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