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Can Jayden Daniels’ second act land the Commanders in the Super Bowl?

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Can Jayden Daniels’ second act land the Commanders in the Super Bowl?


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The second act of Jayden Daniels’ NFL career will come with high expectations – for himself and the Washington Commanders.

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In 2024, the Commanders made the NFC championship game, with their rookie quarterback as the main reason. For a franchise devoid of success for more than two decades and a carousel at quarterback, Daniels was more than a revelation. He took on a mystic presence. He was a savior.

Now the Commanders will enter the 2025 season considered Super Bowl contenders (fair or not) and Daniels will be on MVP shortlists. An ESPN poll that took the temperature of NFL executives and coaches left Daniels as the No. 5-ranked quarterback in the league. Ahead of him were the powerful AFC quartet of quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.

“I gotta go out there and prove myself each and every day, no matter if it was last season, this season, 10, 20 years down the road,” Daniels said in May, “you have to prove yourself each and every season.

“Outside noise doesn’t matter,” he continued, “have to go there and keep proving yourself.”

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Taken second overall in the new Commanders regime by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, Daniels carried over his production from Louisiana State to the pros. He rushed for the most yards ever by a rookie quarterback (891). The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner completed 69% of his passes and threw 25 touchdowns – five of which came in the final 30 seconds of regulation or overtime – to nine interceptions. He easily won Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Off the field, Daniels was instrumental in catalyzing the culture change Quinn instilled from the top of the organization down.

“He’s an amazing teammate. The amount of work that he puts in that goes unseen here to get ready to play, to learn it, to teach others to, you know, connect the guys … there is no flinch in Jayden Daniels,” Quinn said in May. “He’s as focused and relentless as you could about getting better. And so that’s why I said for us around here, like, man, we appreciate that and there’s a lot of things that, he and the rest of us are really digging in hard on to say, ‘All right, can we get this better?’”

Jayden Daniels’ 2025 NFL season goals? From learning to mastery

Throughout Daniels’ first full offseason as a pro, the coaching staff and the quarterback concentrated on taking aspects of his game from “really good” to “elite” with the goal of being “the best at this concept,” Quinn said.

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The freedom an offseason provides was new to Daniels. Some of that was difficult to navigate, Daniels said, but he leaned on his support system.

“It was fun just to sit back and reflect and figure out how I’m going to move throughout this offseason and move forward,” Daniels said.

For offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, that meant receiving plenty of texts and calls from Daniels, who is a football junkie. Kingsbury didn’t have to give him any homework.

“His mind is never very far away from the game, so if he sees something or has a thought, he likes to reach out and talk through it,” Kingsbury said in May. “And so that relationship has really grown, I think kind of figuring out where we want to continue to get better at.

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“That’s all he kind of thinks about is how he can get better and watches a ton of film, watches a ton of football overall. And so, that organically really takes care of itself in a way when you have a guy who wants to be that great.”

A potential head-coach candidate once again, Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough were all retained by the Commanders this offseason with the goal of providing a stable “ecosystem,” in the words of Peters, for Daniels.

“It’s huge,” Kingsbury said of the continuity at Daniels’ disposal. “I think you look traditionally through the NFL, the guys who’ve had a ton of success have been able to stay in those long-term, all-time greats and just the comfort level and then you being able to take the ownership of it and understand it inside and out, where now you’re correcting people, you don’t even need the coaches. And he’s kind of getting to that point.”

Going into Year 2, Kingsbury said, Daniels shifted from learning to mastery of the scheme. Daniels said “transparency” between he and Kingsbury has improved; he relays what he likes, Kingsbury offers his viewpoints and they agree on the middle ground.

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 “Just watching him move around, he’s not thinking as much, he’s playing fast and letting his natural gifts kind of take over and that’s what we want to see,” Kingsbury said. “So, I expect him to take a big jump.”

The spotlight will only increase. The Commanders are scheduled to play in 10 standalone windows this season, starting Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers on “Thursday Night Football.”

Commanders have ‘massive opportunity’ with Jayden Daniels on rookie contract

Throughout last season, Daniels faced questions regarding his durability. The 6-foot-4 passer is listed at a generous 210 pounds. Big hits he took in the first month of the season didn’t assuage those concerns. Daniels suffered a rib injury against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 20 following a long run that affected him for the better part of a month.

Neither the Commanders nor Daniels had any specific weight goals or bulking desires for the offseason. Quinn said he’s where he expects Daniels to be on the scale, but that working out more has naturally made him leaner.

“He knows what he has to do to protect himself and where he feels comfortable playing,” Kingsbury said. “But the arm strength, it looks better and you can tell he’s stronger, there’s no doubt.”

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While Daniels improved himself, Peters improved the roster. He brought back key veterans who bonded with Daniels in tight end Zach Ertz, linebacker Bobby Wagner and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. He traded for wideout Deebo Samuel, formerly with the San Francisco 49ers, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders used their first-round draft pick on offensive lineman Josh Conerly.

“We have a massive opportunity, and you know, none of us are taking that lightly,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said regarding Daniels’ rookie contract in February after the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game.

But Daniels’ favorite target, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and the front office are locked into a contract standoff that has devolved from standard to bitter.

In Quinn’s mind, whoever Daniels is working with on the field has the benefit of working with a leader who understands the larger goal.

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“I know he’s worked hard through the offseason, but he’s just in command of the things that he wanted to work,” Quinn said. “He and his teammates, they’ve really put in a lot of work together.

“You can sense when people are going for it and you know, he’s certainly one that is.”



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Washington

Commanders rookie WR nominated for first prestigious NFL honor

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Commanders rookie WR nominated for first prestigious NFL honor


The Washington Commanders got back on track last week after suffering their first loss in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, returning home and dismantling the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 behind strong offensive output and special teams play.

Washington was able to blow out the Geno Smith led Raiders on the shoulders of backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started in place of injured Jayden Daniels, and a strong running game that put up over 200 yards on the ground.

But perhaps the biggest play came from the least expected player, rookie wideout Jaylin Lane. Lane received a punt from the Raiders at his own 10-yard line before proceeding to find a hole and taking the punt 90 yards to the house for a touchdown to put the Commanders up 27-10 early in the third quarter.

Lane didn’t do anything outside of that on the day, but that play alone was good enough to earn him a nomination as the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week.

Jaylin Lan

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Lane’s highlight play could very likely earn him the honor of being named Rookie of the Week in Week 3, but the team will hope to get more out of him as the season progresses.

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Lane, a 2025 fourth round draft pick out of VIrginia Tech, has yet to make a real impact at wide receiver for the Commanders despite the wide receiver room not being all that deep.

The Commanders have relied heavily on their starters Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Noah Brown early in the season, so they would love if Lane and Luke McCaffrey would emerge throughout the rest of the year to take some of the pressure off the aforementioned starters.

Through three games in the NFL, Lane has only managed three receptions on eight targets for 11 yards and no scores. Lane’s next chance to show what he can bring to the table for the Commanders comes Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons.

READ MORE: This position’s depth tested for Commanders in Week 3

Follow Caleb on Twitter.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

• Commanders rookie making strong impression on Dan Quinn

• Commanders place safety on IR as secondary struggles continue

• Commanders offensive line look sharp, but Dan Quinn isn’t ready to commit

• Commanders head coach sounds off on signing former first-round pick

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W&L Celebrates 2025 National Food Service Workers Day

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W&L Celebrates 2025 National Food Service Workers Day


Washington and Lee University will honor its talented and hard-working Dining Services staff on Thursday, Sept. 25, by celebrating National Food Service Workers Day, a national initiative born nearly a decade ago to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of the food service workers who create meaningful dining experiences every day.

The staff at the Marketplace works very hard seven days a week to provide healthy and nutritious meals for the students,” said Mike O’Byrne, Marketplace executive chef. “We thought it would be nice to take a day to honor this contribution to the students and their college experience. We, and I especially, are truly grateful to have such a talented and professional staff, and this is just a small measure to say thank you for their dedication to the campus community.”

W&L will celebrate its accomplished Dining Services staff through a special lunch menu featuring dishes inspired by team members’ cherished family recipes. After inviting dining staff to share their favorite home recipes, the culinary team selected six dishes from the diverse submissions, choosing recipes that complemented each other while being suitable for large-scale preparation. The staff members whose recipes were chosen will be honored alongside their featured dishes, with photos and personal stories about each menu item displayed throughout the service lines. Lunch will be served from 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

“Last year was the first year that we did this, and some of the staff were a little nervous about having their dishes and pictures presented,” O’Byrne said. “With the warm reception from the students, faculty and staff, it really turned into a very positive experience for us. Many of the staff that participated submitted dishes again this year because of how much they enjoyed the event.”

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Among the featured selections this fall is a vegan chorizo stuffed pepper dish submitted by lead cook Romero Dunn. A three-year staff veteran, Dunn said the idea for his featured dish came to mind while casually discussing the event with O’Byrne.

“I was thinking of how to make a vegan option for a longtime classic,” said Dunn. “Growing up, I always appreciated how my mother could make a satisfying meal with a few simple ingredients.”

Dunn has a family history with W&L’s Dining Services, noting that several relatives served on the culinary team dating back to when meal service was handled in Evans Dining Hall.

“My grandfather was the chef, and it feels good to follow in his footsteps,” reminisced Dunn, who expressed gratitude for the yearly event honoring the contributions of food service workers.

“National Food Service Workers Day recognizes the people and hard work that goes into preparing meals for a university,” he said. “Preparing meals for the university takes pride and teamwork, and the recognition of this event shows an appreciation for cooks such as myself, who have chosen this career.”

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Another entrée selected was Brenna Patterson’s creamy Tuscan chicken recipe. Patterson, a three-year employee and member of the front of house team at the Marketplace, selected her dish because it is a favorite among her two children, who regularly help her prepare the dish in their home. Patterson shared her recipe for anyone who wishes to add it to their regular home meal rotation.

Not to be outdone, several side dishes will also be featured on the menu, including mashed parsnips and carrots, a favorite family recipe proposed by Eithne Power-Mulligan, a cook with Dining Services since 2023.

“I selected mashed parsnips and carrots because, while most people eat other one or the other, a lot of my friends had not had both combined,” she said. “The nutty, earthy flavor of the parsnip combined with the sweetness of the carrots is a great balance of rustic root vegetables and reminds me of my mam and growing up in Ireland. A lot of our food was farm to table and is very filling and nutritious.”

Power-Mulligan added that sharing the dish brings her joy, as does the thought of being recognized for her efforts in feeding the university community.

“I really like the fact that there is a National Food Service Workers Day,” she said. “Since coming to work at W&L, I have learned how much effort and time goes into the all the different facets and the preparation of the menu items offered. It’s so nice to be appreciated. I love everything about working here. The Marketplace team are a great group of people that offer and give encouragement, support, knowledge and the opportunity for me to grow as an individual.”

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W&L’s Dining Services program employs nearly 250 staff members and 74 student workers across its eight campus venues. The team was recently cited among the nation’s best for employee development, receiving the Employee Development Program of the Year Award from the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS).

Last year, the Dining Services operation served just shy of one million meals (966,550) through its venues and catering services.

National Food Service Workers Day Lunch Menu

Creamy Tuscan Chicken – Brenna Patterson (food service worker)
Arroz Con Pollo Casserole – Brooklyn Hatcher (dining shift supervisor)
Vegan Chorizo Stuffed Pepper – Romero Dunn (lead cook)
Mashed Parsnips and Carrots – Eithne Powers-Mulligan (cook)
Squash and Onions – Chris Vess (food service worker)
Braised Cabbage with Sausage and Tomatoes – Tasha Johnson (cook)

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Women’s Golf Kicks Off Season At Chambers Bay – University of Washington Athletics

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Women’s Golf Kicks Off Season At Chambers Bay – University of Washington Athletics


SEATTLE – The 2025-26 women’s golf season will begin in just a few short days, as the Huskies will compete in the Leadership & Golf Invitational Sept. 15-16.

The Leadership & Golf Invitational, hosted by Seattle U and UW at Chambers Bay Golf Course, will feature 16 teams.

Last year at this tournament, the Dawgs tied for a sixth place finish out of 16 teams. This marks the third straight season that Washington has opened the year at home.

Play will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15. Live scoring will be available here.

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Five Huskies return from last season’s roster, including Amber Li, Carmen Lim, Athena Ni, Mads Smith, and Wendy Tang. First year head coach Anna Temple has added senior transfer Claudia Alnajim to round out the UW roster.

Lim, Smith and Tang were named Big Ten preseason golfers to watch.

Washington’s lineup for the Leadership & Golf Invitational will be:

  1. Carmen Lim
  2. Mads Smith
  3. Wendy Tang
  4. Amber Li
  5. Athena Ni

Individual: Claudia Alnajim

For more information on the UW women’s golf team, follow @UW_WGOLF on X and Instagram.

 

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