Washington
Washington Commanders Minicamp Wrap-Up: Players and Coaches Primed for Training Camp
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders wrapped their mandatory minicamp and set out on a 40 day break between it and the start of training camp in late July.
It’s an opportunity for players and coaches alike to rest a bit and squeeze in some valuable family time before kicking the Commanders’ reclamation project into overdrive.
READ MORE: Commanders Reveal Training Camp Dates and Fan Information
Training camp is also an opportunity for lesser-known players to establish themselves and for the well-knowns on the roster in Washington to assert their place at the top of the depth charts.
Here are three players who set themselves up nicely to do that, thanks to strong performances during the team’s minicamp and offseason workout program.
JAYDEN DANIELS, QUARTERBACK
He’s a bit of a no-brainer, but Daniels came in as a No. 2 overall selection and left the minicamp as the nearly unquestioned leader of the Commanders.
We say nearly because in truth he’s surrounded by veterans like linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz who can do the heavy player-coach lifting and motivating while Daniels focuses on learning and executing the playbook.
With that framework is where he’s really shone so far as his reputation for being one of the first in the building and last off the practice field has endeared him to his teammates and the work he’s putting in beforehand is showing when they get to their practical exercises.
His control of the offense, knowledge of checks and reads, and overall demeanor have won over the coaches and his teammates so far. And that’s all you can ask of a first-round pick carrying the weight of the franchise’s future on his shoulders.
QUAN MARTIN, SAFETY
Sam Fortier of The Washington Post pointed at Martin when asked who the standout player of minicamp was on a recent appearance on the Locked On Commanders podcast.
The second-year defensive back was arguably one of the more solid players from last year’s otherwise lackluster NFL Draft class, and a late-season move to free safety started to show his potential.
This year, he’s much more solidified at that position and is appearing to create a solid starting duo with first-year Washington safety Jeremy Chinn who came over from the Carolina Panthers.
DAN QUINN, HEAD COACH
Ok, Quinn isn’t a player so in some ways he shouldn’t be qualified to make this list. But he’ll be a major player in the way this Washington turnaround project progresses or fails, so we’re making an exception.
The words he spoke this offseason all sounded great. They rang the tone usually carried by a true leader who had a clear plan and the right people in place to execute it.
But the minicamp was the first really big test of those words being put into action, and from everything we witnessed it appears he and his unit passed that first inspection with flying colors.
There are no pads, no hitting, and the football is only marginally ‘real’, but it’s all we have to gauge and when we’re talking about people who have momentum heading into training camp Quinn is arguably the biggest.
READ MORE: National Outlets Sleeping on Commanders?
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
Federal authorities are planning a “summer surge” aimed at reducing crimes committed by young people in D.C. sources tell News4.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro is expected to announce Friday that the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force will do additional enforcement and get more resources, law enforcement sources said.
The move comes about two weeks after the D.C. Council chose not to vote on extending Mayor Muriel Bowser’s emergency youth curfew zones over the summer.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March 2025 that established the task force. He declared a crime emergency and temporarily federalized the locally run Metropolitan Police Department in August 2025.
Trump threatened to seize control of MPD after teens attacked then-Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee Edward Coristine, who was known by the nickname Big Balls.
Pirro has repeatedly railed against youth who commit crimes and told News4 she would like to see children as young as 12 prosecuted as adults.
“The time for coddling young people – 14, 15, 16, 17 – is over. And it’s time that we lowered the age of criminal responsibility,” she said in August.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The owner of a popular Washington Avenue restaurant says he was arrested after a dispute with city health inspectors over whether his business had a valid permit to operate.
Surveillance video recorded May 6 inside Betelgeuse Betelgeuse shows owner Chris Cusack speaking with Houston Health Department officials before he was taken into custody.
“I was pretty dazed, and all I could do is comply until it all got figured out,” Cusack said.
Cusack was charged with failure to comply with local health and sanitary laws after authorities accused the restaurant of operating without a food dealer’s permit.
The Houston Health Department says food dealer permits are valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
Cusack disputes the allegation, saying he has paperwork he believes proves the business had renewed its permit in March.
“I pulled it off the wall and showed it to him,” Cusack said. “He said it wasn’t the right business. I said it has my business’ name and address on it.”
Cusack said inspectors questioned whether the permit was tied to the correct business identification number.
“(The inspector) saw the first ID and said, ‘Ah ha, that’s the one you’re working under, so therefore this isn’t valid,’” Cusack said.
ABC13 reached out to the Houston Health Department with questions about the arrest. The department referred questions to the Houston Police Department.
According to HPD, the health department ordered the business closed in October 2025 for operating without a permit, though officials did not specify which type of permit was involved.
Police said the business was instructed to remain closed until it complied with health regulations. On May 4, inspectors learned the restaurant was open, according to HPD. Inspectors returned two days later, when Cusack was arrested.
Cusack said he was never told to shut down the business and questioned why inspectors waited months before returning.
The restaurant, known for pizza and drinks, reopened following the arrest and was serving customers again on Wednesday.
Cusack also expressed concern about what he described as aggressive enforcement targeting Washington Avenue businesses.
The entertainment district has faced increased law enforcement scrutiny in recent years as city leaders attempted to curb reckless behavior and nightlife-related crime.
“Washington Avenue business owners are just being confused by these intense raids on businesses for what are typically really basic scenarios,” Cusack said.
Court records show Cusack is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday on the charge.
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Metro is not recommending the construction of a new Metrorail station at the Commanders’ future home at the RFK Stadium site, documents released Tuesday reveal.
The transit agency instead recommended the creation of a rapid bus line called the Gold Line that would connect to Metrorail and buses at Union Station.
Metro also recommended major improvements to the Stadium-Armory Metro station. Without these measures, they warned it could take more than two hours to clear crowds after events at the stadium.
Metro said it projects that building a new rail station would cost about $1 billion and not be complete by the time the stadium is set to open in 2030.
More than half of people heading to events at the new stadium are expected to take public transportation.
Metro studied potential locations for a new Metro station, including Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road NE.
Neighbors have repeatedly said they’re worried about traffic and parking.
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