5 Commanders position battles that have already been decided at training camp
By Seth Jones
Training camp is well underway and the intensity is increasing. Football season is just around the corner and Washington Commanders fans are eagerly anticipating the start of what will hopefully become an exciting new era for the franchise.
Every year, training camp is an opportunity for coaches to get a feel for the men they're going into battle with and teach them everything needed to excel. Players sharpen their tools and in some cases, either earn roster spots or emerge victorious from a key position battle.
Although it is a team, training camp is a time to earn your way if put in that situation. The Commanders have multiple of these on their hands, so let’s discuss a few position battles that are already taking shape six days into training camp.
Commanders players winning their position battles at 2024 training camp
Commanders QB 'battle' is a foregone conclusion
This is technically a position, so let’s just get it out of the way. Thus far in training camp, the first-team quarterback reps have been split between rookie Jayden Daniels and newly signed Marcus Mariota.
The competition is just a way to get the rookie signal-caller to earn his starting job and give him some competition. There’s not anything to look into here.
Daniels' reps will continue to go up and he will have the starting job soon. It is a good thing that the former LSU star is getting some second-team reps because it allows him to get acclimated to most wide receivers on the team.
The Washington Commanders didn't select Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to sit on the sidelines. Certainly not when one considers how well he's performed compared to Mariota, who's been inconsistent throughout camp so far.
Daniels is the guy, but everyone knew that already. When Dan Quinn confirms the Heisman Trophy winner as QB1 is anyone's guess. But this supposed battle was a done deal long ago.