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Washington Post (paywall)
Fame can sack an NFL superstar. Good luck catching Jayden Daniels.
In April, Jayden Daniels traveled to Paris on a promotional trip arranged by the NFL and European sporting empire Paris Saint-Germain. He attended a soccer game at Parc des Princes — “Dope,” Daniels said — and chucked a football in the stands. He met and filmed a short video with Brazilian star Marquinhos. He toured PSG’s practice campus. And then, in an increasingly treasured occurrence, Daniels enjoyed time to himself.
Daniels sampled croissants, saw the Eiffel Tower and
perused high-end fashion shops. As he strolled through Paris’s streets, a feeling of relief washed slowly over him. At last, in a city unmoved by the spectacle of American football, almost nobody recognized him.
“I was just enjoying walking around,” Daniels said, “and being a normal human being for once.”
In February, Daniels sat courtside with old friends at a USC-UCLA women’s basketball game. The showdown drew several other boldface names: comedian Kevin Hart, actress Sanaa Lathan, WNBA star Kelsey Plum and others.
“At halftime, when everybody gets up, the whole crowd came to Jayden,” said Rome Weber, Daniels’s friend since their early childhood in San Bernardino, California. “And there’s so many celebrities. Everybody wanted to say something to Jayden. That’s when I realized this is a different stage he just reached.”
Daniels is grateful to fans and accepts fame as a by-product of his profession. He remembers what his father, Javon, would tell him about playing quarterback: “To whom much is given, much is required.” But he does not enjoy the recognition. There are places he can no longer go without an uproar. Attention makes him uncomfortable. He confronts it with resolve not to let it change him personally or professionally.
Over the past year, Daniels turned down more opportunities than he accepted. His team filters most of them; he turned down several television show appearances over the offseason. He filmed a commercial for NFL Flag. He has a few corporate sponsorships coming out soon that he cannot talk about yet.
He remains selective. He has discovered a lesson it takes some athletes years to realize: Agreeing to a 30-second commercial means sacrificing at least a full day of time, and Daniels is fiercely protective of his.
After Washington’s organized team activities concluded in June, he instructed his team to set aside one week. In those seven days, he would tend to all his sponsorship obligations — commercial shoots, meetings, prospective deals. Then he would be finished, “so I had the rest of the summer to focus on working out, getting better for the season and just enjoying my summer, too,” Daniels said.
As a rookie, Daniels became known among teammates for his obsessive early arrival. Coaches who got to work at 6 a.m. would sometimes see Daniels walking off the practice field. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said Daniels has come to the facility even earlier this year. “If anything, I’ve seen pretty much his overall routine and process improve greatly from year one to year two,” Kingsbury said.
The Athletic (paywall)
How Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. transformed his body to earn his roster spot
After spending much of last season on the practice squad before impressing late in the season to earn a roster spot, Rodriguez used his offseason to take his game to another level.
His goals: get faster and leaner.
Rodriguez said his normal playing weight had been around 225 to 230 pounds. But after he suffered a high ankle sprain late in his rookie season, it jumped to 235 pounds, the heaviest of his career. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster in 2024 and knew he needed to change to have a chance this year.
“I did talk to (special teams coordinator Larry) Izzo last year, and being on the practice squad, he was saying one of the reasons on special teams why he liked other guys in that position is because I wasn’t running as fast as some of them,” Rodriguez said. “So I made it my mission to become faster, which was more technique for me. And obviously, I was heavy.”
To fix that, Rodriguez spent nearly a month and a half in the Atlanta area working with Lily Abdelmalek, the founder of DSA Sports Performance, who has worked with numerous professional athletes in her two decades of training.
Abdelmalek specializes in speed and change-of-direction skills, becoming a go-to source for NFL players, including Washington cornerback Noah Igbinoghene and former Washington receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.
Rodriguez worked out at 6:30 a.m. and was at it four to five days a week during his time with Abdelmalek.
As part of the program, Rodriguez also worked with wide receivers coach Drew Lieberman, intending to improve his pass catching and route running ahead of another season in Kingsbury’s system, which often features backs in the pass game. Rodriguez has been targeted with passes [only] three times in his pro career.
When Washington finalized its first active roster last week, Rodriguez waited out cutdown day expecting a call. Instead, he got a “see you tomorrow” after finishing his workout at the facility, and arrived for the team meeting the next morning.
Heavy.com
Deebo Samuel Could be the Final Piece of Unlocking the True Potential of this Washington Offense in 2025
Jeff Howe of The Athletic recently compiled some intel for all 32 teams across the NFL entering the 2025 season. The tidbit he reported for Commanders WR Deebo Samuel should be enough to get Washington fans excited about the outlook of this offense.
Howe wrote, “Wide receiver Deebo Samuel looks leaner and faster after shedding weight this offseason. The Commanders have been blown away by his commitment to recapturing as much of his prime as possible. Samuel’s production leveled off over his last three seasons with the 49ers, but he could be an asset with Washington, especially now that Terry McLaurin is back in the fold and ready to unlock the offense’s potential.”
The Commanders’ offense relied heavily on Terry McLaurin in 2024, which was evident by his 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, the team struggled to find a consistent producer at the WR position throughout the majority of last season — which prompted the organization to acquire Samuel via trade this offseason.
Benjamin Solak of ESPN believes that Samuel’s dynamic ability to create explosive plays after the catch could make him the ultimate X factor for the Commanders in 2025.
“Samuel was already an intriguing player when the Commanders traded for him: a wide receiver barely ever used down the field, best creating after the catch and beyond his athletic prime, but perhaps with some seasons left in the tank. As things have developed further — the recently resolved training camp holdout from Terry McLaurin and the lack of wide receiver depth — Samuel has become even more important,” wrote Solak. “The Commanders expect to spread and shred the field again, so Samuel figures to consistently get six or seven touches a game as a backfield option or receiver on quick run-pass options (RPOs). They need him to be dynamic, and while he wasn’t the same player last season as he was prior to that, he still is above average. Samuel was 12th among all skill-position players in yards after catch (YAC) over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”
Commanders.com
Depth, preparation key components for Commanders to unlock successful season
“Dan is so conscientious of how he loads training camp,” Paulsen said. “How he manages guys in the week. You see older players come here and have better resurgences and I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s such a priority.”
Washington brought in some notable additions over the offseason by drafting offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. out of Oregon and trading for Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans. These moves would also allow Brandon Coleman to move to left guard.
Moss added, “When a guy like Cosmi is out, we can use a guy like Wylie. That to me is hard to find in this league. I’ve been on a lot of teams where you lose a guy, you’re done. You’re not going to find a better replacement.”
With these new pieces on the offensive line and how Quinn manages the veterans, the Commanders’ offense could look different. The newfound depth could be the key to unlocking a successful season.
The Athletic (paywall)
Bold NFL 2025 season predictions
Washington Commanders: CB Trey Amos has five interceptions
The Commanders selected Amos with the 61st pick in the draft, a position they believe was a steal; he was in the mix of players they considered taking in the first round. After four months on the field with Washington, the reasons are clear. Amos plays more like a polished veteran than a first-year player, largely because of his technique. He’s also more versatile than he maybe gets credit for, benefitting from playing in three major college programs (Louisiana, Alabama and Ole Miss). Since the AFL-NFL merger, only three defensive backs for Washington have recorded at least five picks in their first season: Tom Carter (1993), Champ Bailey (1999) and Fred Smoot (2001). Amos could be next. — Nicki Jhabvala
The Athletic (paywall)
25 most intriguing players in NFL this season: Aaron Rodgers, Travis Hunter, Micah Parsons
2. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The second pick of the draft, Hunter is attempting to become the NFL’s first full-time two-way player since 1962. (Hall of Fame Philadelphia Eagles center/linebacker Chuck Bednarik last accomplished it.) Hunter thrived as a two-way college player, but the increased speed and physicality of the professional game intensifies this challenge. The Jaguars are learning on the fly when it comes to managing Hunter’s workload and development plan.
7. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
He burst onto the scene and took a long-suffering Washington franchise to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season. Now the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has massive expectations to live up to as he tries to take a Washington team that added Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to the offense and Von Miller on defense a step further.
13. Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
The No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft, Williams was regarded as a can’t-miss prospect. But after a tumultuous rookie campaign (head coach firing, three different play callers, a league-high 68 sacks), Williams has questions surrounding him. Chicago GM Ryan Poles upgraded the offensive line and hired the brightest offensive mind on the market in new head coach Ben Johnson. But Williams has had a rocky training camp and preseason while learning a new system. Can he settle in and live up to the hype? For now, Johnson and the Bears would like it if Williams could simply serve as a solid game manager and worry about the rest later.
24. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Newly engaged and soon to be 36, the 10-time Pro Bowl tight end is back for his 13th NFL season. There were rumblings that Kelce was considering retiring after last season, but he later declared, “I can’t go out like that,” referring to a blowout loss in the Super Bowl, in which he had only four catches for 39 yards. Kelce has dropped some weight and is highly motivated to try to give the Chiefs a fourth Super Bowl win in the last seven seasons.
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders should be better, but the record may not reflect it
Not to throw a wet blanket on all those sunny thoughts (he says as he reaches for a beach towel and a bucket of water), but it’s going to be difficult — extremely difficult — to replicate last season, let alone top it.
The reasons are myriad, and we’ll touch on them all. Start with the schedule. It’s harder. Much harder.
Eight of the Commanders’ 12 victories were by one possession. Is that kind of success in what Quinn calls “winning-time moments” now baked into Washington’s DNA? Or a bunch of good fortune that would signal future regression? It could be both.
Daniels was knocked out early in the victory over Carolina, but he started 17 games. The most significant injuries all season were a pair of concussions to veteran running back Austin Ekeler, who missed five games; a kidney laceration to Brown that caused him to miss the last four games; and a torn pectoral for defensive lineman Jonathan Allen that wiped out eight games.
Most sports books have the Commanders’ over/under win total at 9.5. Take the over, and 10-7 wins the bet. But 10-7 is a regression from 12-5, right?
Maybe. But maybe not. The most likely result of this season: The Commanders of 2025 are a better team than the Commanders of 2024. Their roster is slightly deeper. They’re a year into the systems of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. They understand Quinn’s expectations. And Daniels isn’t a rookie.
But these improved Commanders will have a worse record than those Commanders. The schedule, the bounce of the ball — not to mention pure logic — suggests that.
Not a single opponent is going to be snoozing now. Those Commanders games are circled as tests by every team they play.
Podcasts & videos
HC Dan Quinn Previews the Season | The Gameplan | Washington Commanders
Stadium
Washington Post (paywall)
Decrepit RFK Stadium had to come down. It still kind of stings.
In the middle of September, the D.C. Council will hold a final vote to approve a $3.7 billion project to build a new stadium for the Washington Commanders on that hallowed piece of ground between Capitol Hill and the Anacostia River. It’s coming. You can feel it.
But before the new stadium can go up, the old one has to come down. Drive by now, and the progress with that project is viscerally stunning. The building has stood on that land since 1961. In the years since D.C. United moved out … Oh, let’s be honest. For decades, it has been crumbling, an eyesore of peeling paint and rusting iron even before United departed after the 2017 Major League Soccer season.
“It’s very methodical. We’re very sensitive to make sure the long-term effects — when you talk about a structure that has been in existence since [1961] and the type of materials that were used during that time in the ’60s — what impact would it have on the families that reside in that community?”
The impact of an implosion: dust. Lots and lots of dust. Dust into the air. Dust into the Anacostia River. Dust, potentially, into our lungs.
Instead, on a given day, 20 to 30 workers are chipping away to bring the stadium to its knees. For a project that ultimately involves destruction, it’s pretty meticulous work, Johnson said.
The process will wind down in the fall of 2026, when the site will be smoothed into a flat circle.
I have to admit that as I watched the process over that morning last week, I got a little emotional.
NFC East links
NFL.com
Brian Schottenheimer believes Cowboys can still compete for Super Bowl after trading Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys: “It’s our year!”
Brian Schottenheimer will make his head coaching debut with the Dallas Cowboys a week after losing elite pass rusher Micah Parsons, probably his best player, in a trade with Green Bay.
“I stared right down the barrel of the gun and said, ‘Hey, I want to win a Super Bowl,'” Schottenheimer said Friday, a day after the blockbuster deal. “That doesn’t change. We get excited about the pieces that we’re adding. I don’t sit around and think about, ‘Man, this is my first year as the head coach.’ This is part of the business. I’m comfortable with that.”
“That this trade wasn’t getting done unless I was in it,” [DT Kenny] Clark said of what Jones told him. “That made me feel wanted right there. I’m happy to be here. I’m blessed.”
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
Panthers bring back Hunter Renfrow, place Jalen Coker on IR
The Carolina Panthers on Saturday announced plans to re-sign Hunter Renfrow less than a week after releasing the 2021 Pro Bowl wide receiver.
It’s a one-year deal, a league source told ESPN.
Renfrow will fill the roster spot of Jalen Coker, who was placed on injured reserve with a quad injury suffered in Thursday’s practice. Coker, who is expected to miss the first four to six games, had been tabbed to replace veteran Adam Thielen, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.
Discussion topics
Pro Football Talk
Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar now co-favorites to go first overall in 2026 NFL draft
Texas quarterback Arch Manning entered the season as the favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. That didn’t last long.
After Manning struggled in Texas’s season-opening loss to Ohio State, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier are now the co-favorites to be the first overall pick in next year’s draft. Both have +350 odds at DraftKings.com.
Nussmeier went 28-for-38 for 230 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions as LSU went on the road and beat No. 4 Clemson 17-10 on Saturday. Allar went 22-for-26 for 217 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and didn’t play in the fourth quarter as his Penn State team cruised to an easy 46-11 win against overmatched Nevada.
The next-best odds to go first overall are on quarterback LaNorris Sellers, whose South Carolina team opens its season today against Virginia Tech. Sellers is at +500 to go first overall.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who lost to LSU and Nussmeier on Saturday night, is now listed at +550 to go first overall.
And Manning now ranks fifth in the odds to be the first overall pick, at +700.
