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John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer
ASHBURN, Va. — Optimism for a new quarterback has become old hat for the Washington Commanders.
The organization has started a different quarterback in each of the previous six seasons. It has traded for former high draft picks — twice. It has signed veterans. It started draft picks. Each time, there’s an attempt to explain why this time things will be different. Each time, it all ends with Washington seeking another answer at the position.
As Washington prepares for its season opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox), it’s Jayden Daniels’ turn. The optimism, predictably, has returned, but this time it feels different.
There’s this:
“We got a special, special dude,” right guard Sam Cosmi said of Daniels. “That makes me excited to be here.”
And this:
“He’s going to be really, really good,” 12-year veteran tight end Zach Ertz said, “and it’s not going to be one of those things where it’s going to be good in a few years. He’s really good right now.”
The only one not buying into the Daniels hype is Daniels himself.
“Can’t go out there and think I’m the savior,” he said.
Still, when he steps onto the field against Tampa, he’ll be making the most anticipated first start by a Washington rookie quarterback since Robert Griffin III in 2012. Like Daniels, Griffin was the No. 2 pick and a former Heisman winner. In his debut, Griffin completed 19-of-26 passes for 320 yards and ran for 42 yards on nine carries in a win over the New Orleans Saints.
Griffin won the NFL’s Rookie of the Year that season, throwing for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns while running for another 815 yards and five scores.
“I’m anxious to watch him play myself,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “I know he is going to cut it loose. He’s a pretty laid back, chill cat, but when he steps on that field he’s trying to rip your head off. To see that competitive nature come out in his first game, and it’s not always going to be pretty … that will be a lot of fun for me to witness.”
Washington will face a tough test against a Tampa Bay defense that blitzed the third most of any team last season. Daniels proved adept against the blitz in college, posting the fifth-best QBR vs. the blitz among Division I quarterbacks last season, finishing with 17 touchdowns and no picks. But that was college. His Commanders teammates say his ability to quickly get rid of the ball is a reason they say he won’t be overwhelmed in the NFL. Teammates and coaches have also lauded his poise in the pocket this summer. To their point, Daniels was not sacked in 15 pass attempts over his two preseason games.
“He gets the ball out of his hands quickly. His anticipation is at a high level for a guy who just got to the NFL,” veteran receiver Terry McLaurin said. “He came in really polished. … He’s calm, cool and collected but you can tell he’s got some s— to him.”
Daniels has not placed heavy expectations on himself since arriving in Washington. Instead, he’s focused on playing his role.
“Just go out there and be myself,” Daniels said. “Stay grounded. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. It takes a team to help people out.”
It’s the same message Daniels has repeated since Washington drafted him in April. But he also knows it’s his first game. Daniels played 55 games in college, so he enters with a lot of experience. He went through a transition as a freshman starter at Arizona State and went through another when he transferred to LSU for his final two seasons. Now comes another big jump.
“You’re a rookie. You’re not going to have everything perfect,” he said. “You can strive for perfection, but it’s not going to be perfect. It’s going to be ups and downs, and just go from there.”
And while players say they believe in him already, they also know he just got here. The veterans raving about him also understand there’s more work to do: He has to show he can handle an NFL blitz all game; he has to prove he can make big plays under duress and beat teams from the pocket. McLaurin called it a “journey and a process” that Daniels must endure. Others agree.
“We don’t expect Jayden to put on a Superman cape and save us and put the offense on his back from day one,” Ertz said, “even though we know he can do that. We expect him to do what he’s done the entire offseason, show his poise and be composed in all situations and lead this offense.”
After talking about what Daniels might do for the past four-plus months, everyone will get a chance to see it Sunday.
“It’s almost like you’re watching your kid’s first game,” receiver Dyami Brown said. “I’ve seen you at practice for so long. Let’s go watch this game, see what you can do.”