Commanders Veteran Confident in Jayden Daniels' Continued Growth
Following a shocking run that landed them in the NFC Championship game last season, the Washington Commanders will have a lot of eyes on them in 2025. Ahead of training camp, one veteran uttered a strong vote of confidence for a key member of the franchise.
The Commanders' success would not have been possible if not for the stellar play of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Fresh off being drafted No. 2 overall, he took the league by storm and cemented himself as one of the game's top young talents. Daniels proved he is capable of being a pillar for Washington moving forward, helping the team pull off multiple upsets in his first taste of the postseason.
Heading into year two, Daniels will now attempt to avoid a 'sophomore slump' for the Commanders. Coming off such a strong rookie campaign, the bar is set high for him and Washington in 2025. Outside noise aside, one of his teammates expects Daniels to maintain on his path towards stardom.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 14: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Washington Commanders lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 14, 2024 in...
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 14: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Washington Commanders lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More
Also read: Commanders Owner Pays Steep Investment in Jayden Daniels
During a recent interview, veteran running back Austin Ekeler opened up on Daniels' growth in minicamp and how he expects that to continue throughout the 2025 season:
"I think there's even going to be more growth this year, which is awesome because of where we are at with our team and have a lot of players back," Ekeler said, according to NFL.com. "What I see for him going into this year, we have the same offensive coordinator and so bringing that into the mix has now made it, so, now when we go through OTAs, Jayden is already on it. He's beyond kind of the rookie mistakes and learning the playbook, getting a play called out slow. He's getting people lined up. We got new guys coming in and he's like, 'Deebo you are not over here, you're on that side.' When you start to see him kind of orchestrating out there, you could tell that there's that growth."
Also read: Steelers Named Potential Suitor For Disgruntled Commanders Star
Following a seven-year run with the LA Chargers, Ekeler joined the Commanders ahead of the 2024 season. His production in Washington took a slight dip, largely due to the fact that he only appeared in 12 games. Ekeler finished the season with just 367 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
As a RB capable of being a threat in the running and passing game, Ekeler will attempt to be a dynamic piece who helps elevate Daniels in year two.
For more Washington Commanders and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Could a healthy Uchenna Nwosu put the Seahawks' defense over the top?
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks received positive news Sunday morning when Uchenna Nwosu passed his physical, bringing the outside linebacker one step closer to returning to the field. Nwosu had offseason knee surgery, preventing him from participating in any of Seattle's on-field activities. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list in July. Advertisement Both of Nwosu's past two seasons were cut short by injuries. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle in October 2023, sustained a knee injury due to what he described as a 'dirty' play in the 2024 preseason finale, then went down with a thigh injury upon returning to the lineup in Week 5. Nwosu joined the Seahawks on a two-year, $19 million free-agent deal in March 2022, then had 9.5 sacks while playing all 17 games. Betting on an even bigger season in 2023, Seattle signed him to a three-year, $45 million extension in July 2023. Since then, Nwosu has appeared in just 12 games and recorded three sacks. He took a pay cut this offseason in exchange for a guaranteed base salary and a signing bonus. When healthy, Nwosu can be Seattle's best edge defender. He's a high-level run defender and an above-average pass rusher. Although Boye Mafe had a breakout season in 2023 and Derick Hall flashed in 2024, the best version of Nwosu can be an even bigger difference-maker. Coach Mike Macdonald said it's 'exciting' to get Nwosu back and noted that he's ahead of schedule, which is fitting given how hard he has worked behind the scenes. 'Uchenna is a leader for us on defense,' Macdonald said. 'He's a great edge player on early downs. He's got physicality. He's incredibly smart. He's got a great feel for the game, so activating on those pass-rush opportunities in the play-action game, he's really good at. Then on third down, he can run inside and outside, he's a great game runner. He's got great chemistry with guys like Leo (Williams), and obviously he plays hard. So, a lot of boxes right there. He's a heck of a player.' Macdonald said it's too early to declare whether Nwosu will suit up Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, but the team has a 'preliminary timetable' to put him on the field 'around the beginning of the season.' Advertisement 'There are some checkpoints we have to hit along the way,' Macdonald said. 'The first thing is to do individual (drills), going through walk-through, staying sharp mentally; he'll be ready on all that, but we have to get through that first.' Teammates and coaches have always praised the eight-year veteran's leadership. He plays with maximum effort and a level of physicality that those around him have no choice but to respect, and in some cases, emulate. Nwosu would probably be voted a defensive captain if Macdonald went that route instead of choosing weekly game captains. Seattle's defense should immediately get a boost just by having him back, even if it takes a few weeks to get ramped up. 'It's amazing,' Hall said Tuesday of Nwosu's return. 'He walked out there today for (walk-through) and everybody was clapping, happy to have him back. 'Chenna is a great man. A vet, a leader of this defense. He was here when I came in and brought me along a lot. With everything he's been through, his head is in the right place, and he's ready to come back and play ball.' The 'feel for the game' Macdonald mentioned is something the previous coaching staff also liked about Nwosu. The play design might require him to do one thing, but Nwosu has good instincts and knows when to take chances and be aggressive. It's helpful for others to learn from. '(You can) see the opportunities where he's like, 'Man, if he's leaning, just set him up. If he's doing this, do it this way,'' Hall said. 'Seeing and learning from those opportunities, it's huge. It's helping me develop my game.' Nwosu's career year in 2022 is the closest a Seahawks edge rusher has come to double-digit sacks since Frank Clark had 13.5 in 2018. The only other team without a double-digit sack producer off the edge in that span is the Atlanta Falcons (they haven't had a player at any position reach 10 sacks since 2015). Ten sacks is an arbitrary benchmark, but nearly every other team has had at least one edge rusher — either a defensive end or outside linebacker — hit that mark. Seattle came close with Nwosu and Darrell Taylor recording 9.5 in 2022. Mafe had nine in 2023. Seahawks pass rush work for your viewing pleasure. Here's D Law, Leo, J Reed, Murph and Boye. — Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 19, 2025 More important than the sack number, of course, is what the players who eclipse that total (or routinely hover around it) tend to be: game wreckers. Nwosu looked like he could ascend into that category before injuries robbed him of the last two seasons. But with Nwosu back in the mix alongside Mafe, Hall and free-agent signee DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle has one of its most talented edge rusher lineups in maybe a decade. It's not as top-heavy as the Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril days, but this current iteration has good depth. Seattle can sub out Nwosu and Lawrence for Mafe and Hall and still keep the heat on the quarterback. Advertisement Lawrence's name hasn't come up very often in camp, and he was among the few veterans to sit out both preseason games (he's also not going to play against Green Bay). He's made noise against the run, though, and that's an area where this outside linebacker group should excel. The perimeter run game is the Seattle offense's bread and butter, and there have been several moments in camp where nothing is available on the edge because of Lawrence and Mafe. 'We're very, very stout,' Hall said. 'That's one thing we've homed in on. Even though it seems like we've been doing good, that's one thing we've been harping on this year in camp, man. Just really, really trying to be a force to be reckoned with on the edge. That goes from run to pass, play-action, however the games come to you. It's huge.' Defensive tackle Leonard Williams is the team's most dominant pass rusher, the guy opponents must plan for on every snap. The attention he receives will naturally create opportunities for the edge players, as will Macdonald's scheme, which often uses pre-snap disguises and simulated pressures to manipulate protection rules and manufacture one-on-one matchups without sending more than four rushers at the quarterback. Last season, Seattle ranked eighth in sacks (45), 12th in sack rate and third in pressure rate (all stats provided by TruMedia unless stated otherwise). Macdonald's defense hit those numbers while ranking 22nd in blitz rate. Nwosu's return to the lineup gives Macdonald the personnel to take it up a notch. When Macdonald's Ravens had the No. 1 defense in 2023, Baltimore recorded a league-high 60 sacks. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike led the team with 13, while edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney (9.5 sacks) and Kyle Van Noy (9) had strong seasons as well. The league-average pressure rate for defenders with at least 200 pass-rush snaps was 11 percent that year. Clowney (15.7 percent), Van Noy (15.3) and Madubuike (13.4) all cleared that mark, as did outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (17.2). In an ideal world, Seattle's foursome on the edge, with Williams as the head of the snake, would be similarly disruptive this season. A dominant year for Seattle's edge rushers was possible without Nwosu, and that group still might have to carry the load for a few weeks while he gets into playing shape and rounds into form. But Nwosu's return just makes it more likely that the entire unit will take that next step and potentially resemble the Baltimore defense that made Macdonald an attractive head-coaching candidate in 2023. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Sophomore CB has been 'one of the shining stars' for Texas A&M this preseason
Texas A&M's 2025 cornerback rotation features familiar faces with Will Lee III, Tyreek Chappell and Dezz Ricks returning to the lineup, while Georgia transfer Julian Humphrey and Washington transfer Jordan Shaw provide adequate depth to a room that struggled down the stretch of the 2024 season. Coach Mike Elko will now be calling defensive plays, and knowing his background coaching the secondary, this group shouldn't be a unit opposing teams looking forward to testing through the air. While Will Lee is seen as the most dependable veteran on the roster, Ricks has been hard at work during the preseason. After the Aggies' 16th preseason practice on Tuesday, the former five-star prospect spoke to the media for the first time this year, finally providing insight on why he chose Texas A&M after transferring from Alabama, stating that his familiarity with defensive coordinator Jay Bateman sealed the deal. Bateman, who had a big part in landing Ricks from the portal, revealed on Tuesday that Ricks played over 650-plus snaps during his redshirt freshman season in 2024, which is exceptionally challenging for any young player. Still, his improvement this month has been nothing short of impressive, calling him "one of the shining stars" during the preseason. At wide receiver, Elko, OC Collin Klein, and WR Holmon Wiggins deserve the credit for landing KC Concepcion and Mario Craver from the transfer portal. At the same time, sophomore Ashton Bethel-Roman has been another "shining star" due to his elite speed and fluid route running. Ricks, who has covered all three players in practice, is excited to see just how good Texas A&M's passing game can be, knowing the talent level has dramatically increased. "KC (Concepcion), he's really good, how he runs routes, Mario Craver, real twitchy guy, Ashton Bethel-Roman, a lot of speed, he can stretch the field." Elko and Bateman's trust in Ricks shouldn't be surprising to anyone knowing his talent level, while his 6'1", 188-pound frame, length, and impressive speed make him one of the top candidates to improve significantly, and is still on track to earn one of the two starting outside corner spots. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
MLB suspends Victor Robles 10 games for throwing bat at pitcher
Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles was suspended for 10 games after he threw a bat at a pitcher while on a minor league rehab assignment in the Pacific Coast League. Robles was playing for the Tacoma Rainiers when a ball from Las Vegas Aviators pitcher Joey Estes came high and inside. The ball went off the bat, and as Robles twirled around the catcher, he hurled the bat toward the mound. Major League Baseball announced the suspension on Tuesday. Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners' president of baseball operations, told reporters before the team's game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday that Robles was set to be recalled next week but the incident and subsequent suspension changed their plans. He apologized in a post on his Instagram Stories on Monday. "I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my recent reaction on the field," he wrote. "I let my frustration get the best of me, and I understand how that may have affected not just the game, but the energy and respect we all work so hard to maintain. "Coming off a long rehab and being away from the game for most of the season has been physically and mentally challenging. Adding to that, the recent passing of my mother has been incredibly hard, and I've been doing my best to hold it together. That's not an excuse, but some context I feel you deserve to understand where I'm coming from." The suspension will be effective on the first day Robles returns to the team's active roster. He's not allowed to play in any game, including additional rehab games in the minors, once the suspension begins. Robles is appealing the disciplinary action.
