When the Washington Commanders added Amik Robertson this offseason, they brought in a defender who already knows what it looks like when Jayden Daniels gets rolling on a big stage.
Robertson, who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Detroit Lions in 2024, faced Daniels and the Commanders in the playoffs last year. Daniels made that night look easy, completing 71 percent of his passes for nearly 300 passing yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while also adding 51 yards on the ground. It was the only playoff game in which Daniels was not sacked.
Robertson said he remembered Daniels from his LSU days and had to help prepare for him all week before that matchup. What stood out most was how composed the rookie already looked.
“A quarterback that young. Of course, we saw what he did at LSU.
I’m a Louisiana guy. I watched LSU.
But, to see him put up at the next level, you’re not surprised,” Robertson said. “But you’re, wow, right?
And to see he’s that young, to be able to go out there and to be able to see the game. Slow the game down for a rookie, it’s not too many people that, quarterbacks that come out there and do that.
Just watching tape on him, we game plan for him the whole week … We game planned for him the whole week and he was at the biggest stage and he had to be successful.”
Daniels’ college path helped set that stage. He spent three years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for his final two seasons, then won the Heisman in 2023. Now in his third NFL season, he’ll be trying to push Washington back to the playoffs after the team finished 5-12 last year.
In Other News...
Commanders Face Tough 53-Man Calls After Surprise Preseason Risers
Two preseason games are enough to sharpen a lot of roster conversations, and Washington is now in the thick of them as final cuts approach. The Commanders have spent the past couple of weeks sorting through the back end of the roster, with the evaluation process taking on extra weight after Marcus Mariotas injury created an opening behind center.
Athan Kaliakmanis has taken advantage of the chance and has strengthened his case as a backup quarterback with his recent play. He is part of a small group of surprise risers, along with Joshua Josephs and Kaytron Allen, who have helped make some of these 53-man decisions more complicated than they looked a short time ago. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Quinn Sent Commanders A Clear Message After That Lions Showing
The Commanders altered their usual Monday routine by scrapping a walk-through and instead going with a full practice, a clear sign that Dan Quinn wanted a sharper response after an underwhelming showing against the Lions. Quinn then met with reporters afterward, and the shift in schedule fit the tone of a coach trying to keep standards high rather than let a preseason performance linger in the building.
It also came at the right time, with a joint practice against the Ravens looming and a tougher stretch of evaluation ahead. For a team trying to establish habits early, the message from Quinn was simple enough to read between the lines: no easing up, no settling in, and no room for complacency just because it is August. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have One Major Problem In Front Of Jayden Daniels
Dan Quinn left little doubt after Washingtons latest preseason game that one of the last unresolved spots on the roster remains right in front of Jayden Daniels. The Commanders still have not settled on a starting center, with Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin splitting snaps while Nick Allegretti works back from injury. It is the kind of timing issue that can ripple through an offense, especially for a young quarterback who needs the line and the communication in front of him to be as steady as possible.
The competition has not produced a clear answer yet, and the calendar is not offering much help. Washington has limited time and limited options to sort out the position before the regular season begins, which puts added pressure on every practice rep and every preseason decision still to come. For a team trying to build around Daniels, center is suddenly one of the most important spots left to solve. [Read more 🡒]