Washington Chiefs QB Jayden Daniels “isn’t and shouldn’t be playing” in the preseason

Washington Commanders fans can’t wait to see quarterback Jayden Daniels in action this season.

A look at what the future could hold and the talent the No. 2 pick could bring to the Commanders offense is something that has everyone counting down the days until he takes his first steps on a truly competitive field in NFL.

According to Washington legend and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann, however, that moment shouldn’t come until mid-September at the earliest.

“He is not and should not be playing in the preseason,”

– Joe Theismann on Jayden Daniels

“He is not and should not be playing in the preseason,” Theismann said during a recent appearance on The Craig Hoffman Show. “So if he doesn’t play in the preseason, how are we going to understand how good he is when he has people standing and it’s a different world?”

The statement was made while Theismann was answering a question from the popular radio and podcast host about Daniels’ evaluation thus far.

Theismann made it clear that he likes Daniels and is excited about what’s possible, but he’s holding back all his thoughts until he sees the rookie in a fully competitive environment. Which is a fair sentiment, but the statement at the beginning of that answer is what caught everyone’s attention, including Hoffman, who called for proper follow-up to clarify whether Theismann was predicting from opinion or asserting from knowledge.

“Why would you put your starting quarterback there?” Theismann responded. And he went on to say, “It would tear (head coach) Dan (Quinn) apart (if Jayden Daniels got hurt in the preseason).

Clearly, Theismann is not releasing the information he received from the team, but rather is using his playing days and decades of watching the game as the basis for his opinion that the team has no reason to risk his health Daniels for what might be relatively unimportant game reps. this preseason.

Theismann went on to cite the fact that the starting offensive line — which has yet to be decided — won’t get a ton of reps to keep them healthy and that more than 50 quarterbacks (84 according to Stathead) took offensive snaps in NFL games last season , many due to injuries.

Will Theismann’s prediction come true? We’d be hard-pressed to believe the Chiefs won’t put Daniels on the field in at least one preseason game. What we can’t dispute is Theismann’s logic, however, because the future of Washington football is undoubtedly tied to Daniels’ success and sustainability.

READ MORE: How Daniels stacks up against top rookies

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