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Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Adam Peters held a joint press conference on Tuesday, preparing fans and media for the coming weeks ahead as the burgundy and gold return to the field. With Training Camp officially underway in Ashburn, Washington’s newly built front office and coaching staff will finally get to showcase their months of work in the office as their roster hits the practice field for a sneak preview of what’s to come in September and beyond.
“This camp will be challenging, it’ll be demanding, and it’s also gonna be fun as hell,” Quinn told reporters in his opening statement. “This is where we start writing the chapter of what this 2024 Commander’s team will be about. So, having fun and working really hard, those two things should be synonymous. So, being here alongside Adam [Peters], hell yeah. Let’s get it rolling.”
Peters echoed much of Quinn’s sentiment, adding, “We couldn’t feel more welcome, and we really couldn’t be more excited. We’re pumped about this group, about this year and fired up to get started. It came fast, and I can’t wait to get out there on the grass
tomorrow.”
Much of Washington’s anticipation for Training Camp revolves around rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels is one of four new members of a wholly revamped quarterback room in Washington, including veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskal, and UDFA rookie quarterback Sam Hartman. Daniels enters camp as Washington’s future franchise quarterback and likely Week 1 starter, who will see his first full-speed NFL action in the weeks ahead.
When asked about Daniels’ development, Quinn told reporters, ” I think it’s one size doesn’t fit all, and you want to make sure for not just at quarterback, but at any position. Development doesn’t just continue to go straight up. There are some days that
it goes good, [some] days not, and you keep pushing to go.” He went on to say, “More importantly, the connection, the chemistry with the players and really identifying the things that they do best and then trying to build around that.”
While the team’s Rookies have been in the facility for the week leading up to the start of camp, the intensity and grind will be a slow ramp-up period as practices evolve from shells to full pads in the weeks to come. Quinn addressed the intensity of practice and how to balance the risk of injuries while properly preparing his players for game speed.
“I think the analogy sometimes I use with a team is it’s much like a boxer who’s sparring, and you have to be in control, and you have to take care of it. If you’ve gone into a gym and watched somebody spar, it’s not exactly the same as being in a fight. And practicing, you want to be as competitive as we can, but we also know we’re taking care of one another, and that’s part of the
brotherhood. So, you want to push the competition as much as you can, but also, much like sparring and getting ready that, you’re always in control. If somebody’s out of control, they’ll play out of control. It may look like chaos, but the discipline that we’ll play with will really be evident to you.”
This year’s training camp will feature several event-filled practice days for fans, as well as joint practices with the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets before their scheduled preseason games this coming August.
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