When the Washington Commanders made the decision to select quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it was pretty clear what their motivation was. Obviously, taking a quarterback second-overall indicates that the team feels that they can be the face and future of their franchise. Such is the Commanders’ belief with Daniels.
That being said, there were still some who wondered whether or not Washington might have Daniels sit for a year behind Marcus Mariota in an effort to help develop. However, Daniels’ play in practice and preseason games has been impressive. So much so that, on Monday, the Commanders put any question of Daniels’ role in 2024 to rest.
Jayden Daniels Will Be the Starting Quarterback of the Washington Commanders in 2024
On Monday afternoon, multiple NFL reporters broke the news that Daniels had officially been named the Commanders’ starting quarterback for the 2024 NFL season.
Just in: The #Commanders have officially named Jayden Daniels as their Week 1 starting QB vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let a new era in Washington begin… pic.twitter.com/VPXlz6SWOl
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 19, 2024
When he takes the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week One, Daniels will become the eighth different Washington quarterback to start the season opener in the last eight seasons. The others have been:
- 2017- Kirk Cousins
- 2018- Alex Smith
- 2019- Case Keenum
- 2020- Dwayne Haskins
- 2021- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- 2022- Carson Wentz
- 2023- Sam Howell
- 2024- Jayden Daniels
The decision to make Daniels the starter was not unexpected, but there is some concern that Washington’s group of pass catchers may not be good enough to give the rookie quarterback the support that he needs.
The Washington Commanders Are Encouraged to Sign Free Agent Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster
Of course, Terry McLaurin is the Commanders’ best wide receiver, having four-consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons despite playing with more starting quarterbacks than he has years of NFL experience. After him, though, Washington’s wide receiver depth is highly questionable.
For this reason, Bleacher Report‘s scouting department believes that the Commanders would do well to sign free agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was recently released by the New England Patriots:
“As discussed last week, the Commanders’ receiving corps leaves something to be desired. Smith-Schuster recently became available, which should pique the team’s interest to give Daniels another veteran target to throw to.
“While the wideout is coming off a down season, he’s only two years removed from logging 78 catches for 933 yards with the Chiefs.”
As mentioned above, Smith-Schuster is just two years removed from having a really solid season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He had a down year in New England last year, but so did their entire team.
Perhaps being paired with a competent quarterback will bring Smith-Schuster’s game back up to where it should be.
For More Great Football Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional football, click here!
