Commanders QB Jayden Daniels on 'player's coach' Dan Quinn

Trust is born of respect, and when you look around the Washington Commanders' organization these days, there is plenty of both to go around.

Of course, respect comes in various forms, like the respect a head coach shows a new rookie quarterback by giving him the chance to prove himself without hoisting the weight of everyone's futures square on his shoulders. That's where Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels began their relationship as members of the same NFL franchise.

From there, as their relationship grew, so did the respect for and trust in one another throughout Washington. It was one of the best stories in 2024, the way this franchise went from the cellar to the penthouse seemingly overnight. Recently, Daniels caught up with former head coach Jon Gruden on his Barstool show and got honest about his relationship with Quinn.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"Man, love him," Daniels started. "Players coach, he takes care of us. He wants the best for us, and he's always looking for ways to tell me how to improve, like this offseason I had a conversation with him and he's like, 'Man, I want to see you take–I got something for you–I want to see you take this next step and I think it's going to be better for you and the whole team too.' So he's that coach where he feels like he has to learn too. He's going to challenge me. I'm going to challenge him."

It is hard to imagine a franchise, newly hired head coach, or rookie quarterback having a better first year than the Commanders, Quinn, and Daniels had last year. Now, in year two, the challenge is to get even better.

That challenge is born out of necessity, partially, because the rest of the league will not be coming after Washington with any kind of lowered expectation in 2025. But it is also created from the respect and trust that starts at the top with coach and quarterback. A relationship that appreciates what they've done already in a short window, but knows there's even better days to come if they can each continue to grow and tap into each other's talents.

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