When Dan Quinn was hired as head coach of the Washington Commanders, he was taking over a team that had been one of the most dysfunctional over the last 20 years.
The end of the Dan Snyder era in D.C. meant the end of countless controversies centered around workplace culture and fraud. New owner Josh Harris sought out to change that overnight and saw Quinn as a way to do that.
Of course, as strong as Quinn's leadership skills were, everything changed in the organization once they drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in 2024.
Since his draft selection, Daniels has been an unreal leader on the roster. With a full offseason under his belt with the rest of Washington's teammates, Quinn believes the Commanders will reach new heights in 2025.
"He and his teammates have put in more timing, more connection," Quinn said. "The more you do that, the better you get. There's a lot of belief in him among his teammates—and that's because he works to earn it."
Part of the reason why Quinn and the Commanders are so confident at this point happens to be because of Daniels' development as a passer. Nothing else will be as important to the organization moving forward.
"He came in after a phenomenal season, but he's still looking to grow," Quinn said. "In the offseason, we focused on what he and the other rookies wanted to improve. We've been together about four weeks now, and you can already see the connection forming with the new pieces we've added."
Washington could be even better this season with a year of experience together. ... and that should terrorize the rest of the league.