Washington
Jayden Daniels Reacts to Being Named Washington Commanders Starting Quarterback
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders announced Monday that Jayden Daniels will be the starting quarterback this season.
It’s not a result that surprises anyone, but the announcement is big regardless as the expectation becomes reality for the Commanders and general manager Adam Peters’ first ever NFL Draft selection.
For Washington head coach Dan Quinn, the announcement is a culmination of the process the team started back in April when Daniels was first drafted, and was rooted in growth, competition, and earning everything – with nothing given.
Daniels said after the announcement he appreciates earning the job based on his NFL merits and not what he did in college with the Arizona State Sun Devils and LSU Tigers, where he won the Heisman Trophy.
READ MORE: ‘We’ve Got to Finish Better,’ Says Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels After Loss
“(It’s) just a blessing that DQ and AP trust me to go out there and lead the team, lead the franchise to hopefully win some games,” Daniels said in his press conference following the announcement. “So big ups to them. It’s a blessing. Something I dreamt about as a kid to be at this moment, to experience this moment.”
Daniels also called the experience surreal, thanking God as well as his family and teammates – basically everyone who has supported or helped him along the way.
Unlike No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, who the Chicago Bears crowned internally before drafting and externally not long after, Daniels was expected to prove he was ready for the job before getting it. Something he says he appreciates, and speaks to the authenticity in both Peters and Quinn.
“Everything in life – you got to earn it. Nothing’s given,” Daniels said. “You got to earn your right to stay. You got to earn your right on the field in the position. So to be able to go out there and compete, it makes everybody better. So what they preach, they hold true to that.”
And that means Daniels will get to compete even more. Maybe not as much in the team’s preseason finale this Sunday, but in the regular season, where it’ll start with Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and end as far as Daniels, Quinn, Peters, and all the Commanders involved can take the franchise.
“A blessing that DQ and AP trust me to lead the team,” Jayden Daniels says after being announced as the Washington Commanders starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/atqyxGvrJo
— David Harrison (@DHarrison82) August 19, 2024
READ MORE: Washington Commanders Defense Has ‘Come a Long Way’ Learning and Executing New Scheme
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
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Washington
Holdout Democrats leave WA House support for income tax in doubt
Washington
Bill strengthening Washington child sex abuse material laws focuses on consciousness, AI
SEATTLE — A bill aimed at tightening Washington’s laws on child sex abuse material is headed to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk after clearing the Legislature unanimously.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said 2ESSB 5105 passed the House unanimously Tuesday night after the Senate unanimously approved it on Jan. 28, 2026.
SEE ALSO | Washington exempts clergy from reporting abuse learned in confession after settlement
Manion called the measure one of her public safety legislative priorities.
“People who peddle in the misery of sexually abused children must be held accountable,” Manion said. “I am grateful for the work of Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura Harmon – both in prosecuting these cases and advocating for these legal fixes – and Senators Tina Orwall and Manka Dhingra for championing this legislation.”
Manion’s office said the current state law has gaps that can prevent prosecutors from holding offenders accountable in some cases.
Under current law, prosecutors cannot charge defendants for creating images of child sex abuse unless the child victim was conscious or knew they were being recorded.
The office also said that possessing sexually explicit fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors is not considered child sex abuse material under Washington law.
The bill would update RCW 9.68A.040 to remove the requirement that a child be aware of an abusive recording. It would also update the definition of child sex abuse material to include fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors.
The legislation would also increase the statute of limitations to 10 years for depiction crimes. Manion’s office said the current statute of limitations is three years, and argued that because the images can remain online indefinitely, victims can be re-traumatized for decades.
Washington
Utah Starts Road Trip with Win in Washington | Utah Mammoth
Both of Utah’s power play units scored in the win. Sergachev scored his 10th goal of the season on the power play 13 and a half minutes into the first period. Peterka scored his 21st of the season, on the man-advantage, in the final two minutes of the middle frame.
Peterka has three power play goals in the 2025-26 campaign while Sergachev has matched a career-high with five power play goals this season. Overall, Utah’s power play has scored six goals in the last six games. That output matches the Mammoth’s total from their previous 18 games (per Mammoth PR). Tourigny discussed what’s changed with the team’s performance in recent games.
“(The) puck gets in,” Tourigny laughed. “But, no, I think there’s a number of things. The most important thing is we’re aggressive. We’re attacking.
“…If you look at our goal, the first one, it’s a direct play to the net and then on the loose puck recovery we take a shot with traffic and we score,” Tourigny continued. “On the second one, it’s a slot pass, a great shot by (Peterka). I think we had that attack mindset.”
Guenther, who is on the Mammoth’s top power play unit, agreed with Tourigny’s assessment of attacking more.
“I think just attacking, less predictable,” Guenther explained. “Shooting it more, I think (it is) just work really. Trying to play like a 5-on-5 mindset but on the (power play).”
The Mammoth made several line changes for tonight’s game and the new lines started to find chemistry, despite it being the first game with these changes.
“I like them,” Tourigny said of the changes. “Obviously (Guenther) got a goal, but Cooley’s line was really good. I was looking at the expected goals at the end, I think they were above 90%. So that’s pretty, pretty awesome. Then I think (Barrett Hayton’s) line worked really hard. They’re heavy on pucks and they play well defensively. I did like (Michael Carcone’s) line in (the) previous three games, and I did like them again tonight.”
When Washington pushed back with a power play goal and multiple close chances in the third period, Utah fought hard against the momentum swing to secure the win.
“I thought we did a pretty good job,” Keller explained. “Weathering the storm as much as we could. They’re a great veteran team. They made it hard on us. They pressured us all over the ice, but I was proud of the way we fought there towards the end.”
Utah’s bench was positive and calm throughout the game, especially late in the third. This helped the Mammoth through the momentum swings. Keller, who had two assists in the win, was one of the key voices for the Mammoth.
“He’s one of the guys who was really positive on the bench,” Tourigny explained. “(All the players) were but (Keller) was really vocal. He was really good energy on the bench. So that was really good.”
Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)
- Guenther had two points in the win (1G, 1A) and the forward has earned a team-high nine points (5G, 4A) through six road games in 2026. He has become the third Mammoth skater to reach the 50-point mark this season (28G, 23A) and established a new career-high in goals.
- Sergachev has 18 power play points this season (5G, 13A) and is tied with Keller for the team lead this season.
- Keller has recorded multiple primary assists in a game for the seventh time this season and the 27th time in his NHL career. He has now tallied multiple points in four of his last six contests (2G, 8A), with three multi-assist outings over that span.
The Mammoth continue their five-game road trip in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Game time is 5 p.m. MT and available to watch on Mammoth+ and Utah16.
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