Kliff Kingsbury has been a fan of Jayden Daniels for quite some time, and after his initial first few weeks with Daniels in Washington, the Commanders offensive coordinator may be an even bigger fan now of the rookie quarterback.
Kingsbury, the former Cardinals head coach who is entering his first season calling plays for the Commanders, recently raved about Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner who put up video game-like numbers during his final season at LSU.
"He's intentional in everything he does, which I like," Kingsbury said, via the team's website. "That's what we had heard about him coming up, and that's what he's been since he's been here."
What stood out about Kingsbury's praise of Daniels is that it had nothing to do about football. Instead, Kingsbury lauded Daniels' mental approach.
"He has a plan for studying," Kingsbury said. "He has a plan for practice. He has a plan for watching film. He knows what he wants to be and where he wants to go. To be that young and come in there with that mindset is really encouraging."
Kingsbury's quotes should be celebrated by Washington fans, who have been waiting for a franchise quarterback for quite some time. While many young quarterbacks are talented, few have the mental attributes that are also needed to have success at pro football's highest level. It's early, but appears that Daniels has it.
"We've only had him a couple days, but he works really hard at it," Kingsbury said of Daniels, who is part of a revamped Commanders offense that also includes running back Austin Ekeler, wideouts Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey, tight end Zach Ertz and left guard Nick Allegretti.
