Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Splits starting reps to begin camp

Coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday that Daniels and Marcus Mariota are splitting first-team reps to begin training camp, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.

"When [Daniels] is ready, we'll know," Quinn said. During June minicamp it was Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, who received most of the first-team reps, but it sounds as though the Commanders want him to now earn the starting job. All things considered, it would come as a surprise if Mariota and not Daniels opened the season under center for Washington, but the team has yet to name a Week 1 starter, and it could take until the preseason before clarity on the quarterback competition is provided. Daniels may need some time to fully acclimate to the aerial components of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's scheme, but even if he's rough around the edges early on, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner projects as a high-upside fantasy option right off the bat due to his tremendous dual-threat ability.