The next step towards becoming the Washington Commanders’ franchise quarterback was taken by Jayden Daniels on Friday when he signed his rookie contract.
The second choice in the NFL draft was the LSU Heisman Trophy winner. Consequently, the contract has a four-year value of $37.75 million, with a $24.3 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option that expires in 2028.
Daniels will compete openly with veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota during training camp, according to coach Dan Quinn, who has not announced Daniels as the Commanders’ starting quarterback. Daniels, though, is expected to prevail in that contest and start at the position for Washington for the eighth time in as many seasons in Week 1.
Quinn remarked last week, “One of the things that I love about him is he’s got this demeanor about the execution, about the confidence.” There’s a swagger about him. He is incredibly knowledgeable about what we’re doing, but he also has the humility of a novice. I then thought, “What a great combination to have this older player’s presence and the newer player’s humility, knowing that he has a lot to prove.”
Daniels, who threw out the first pitch before a recent Washington Nationals game, said at minicamp he knows he’s “not a star yet.”
“I got a long way to go,” Daniels said. “I’m a rookie.”
