Bulked up Jayden Daniels looks to have put on weight coming off rookie season with the Commanders
Bulked up Jayden Daniels looks to have put on weight coming off rookie season with the Commanders
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jayden Daniels evades the topic as if he’s an oncoming pass rusher and ducks away from the questions as if he’s avoiding a sack.
It sure looks as if the Washington Commanders’ franchise quarterback has bulked up, adding some muscle after his AP Offensive Rookie of the Year season. He just won’t say how much and insists it was not a particular mission of his.
“That’s up for grabs — I don’t know,” Daniels said Wednesday after an offseason practice session. “I was just working out. It wasn’t about this amount or much. Just go out there, have a plan and naturally just put on weight.”
Daniels is happy to let others talk about his weight, and that extends to his teammates and coaches. They notice, chalking it up to him being a competitor looking to gain another edge.
Kliff Kingsbury, back for a second season as offensive coordinator, has not seen what Daniels is lifting but observes the 24-year-old looking a little thicker.
“He’s still pretty lean, but he’s definitely worked really hard at his fitness and the weight room,” Kingsbury said. “He knows what he has to do to protect himself and where he feels comfortable playing. But the arm strength: He looks better, and you can tell he’s stronger. There’s no doubt.”
That wasn’t a message from the coaching staff coming off Daniels leading the way in Washington exceeding all expectations to make the playoffs and go on an improbable run to the NFC championship game. Kingsbury wanted Daniels to get some rest rather than rush back into preparing for his second professional season.
Easier said than done. A year since being the second pick in the draft and going through an entirely new process, he took some time to reflect and adjusted his priorities.
“You just have so much time and freedom to kind of do what you want,” Daniels said. “It was difficult trying to navigate that, but you on lean on people closest to you and obviously you’ve got to keep the end goal in mind. You’re trying to get better each and every day, and you’re trying to progress each and every season, each and every month and snap.”
Part of getting better was absolutely getting some more upper-body heft — especially given Daniels’ penchant to escape the pocket and run for big gains and given reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia, Dallas and the New York Giants have no shortage of bruising defenders ready to hit him.
“Put on a little muscle, huh?” center Tyler Biadasz said. “For sure. He said what he was going to do, and he did it.”
Daniels upon arriving in Washington developed the reputation as a player who arrives early to the team facility and stays late. No one around the Commanders anticipates that will change now that he may be a few pounds heavier.
“I haven’t gotten like side by side in the mirror or anything, but he’s doing great,” coach Dan Quinn said. “You can sense when people are going for it, and he’s certainly one that is. … There is no flinch in Jayden Daniels. He is as focused and relentless as you could (be) about getting better.”
No McLaurin
Trade pickup Deebo Samuel was in attendance for organized team activities Wednesday, but fellow wide receiver Terry McLaurin was not around for the voluntary stage of offseason workouts after taking part in mandatory sessions recently. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil and cornerback Marshon Lattimore were also absent.
McLaurin’s camp is believed to be discussing a new contract with general manager Adam Peters. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, is only signed through next season.
“I understand the business side of the things, and when he stopped coming I understand his side of the story,” Samuel said. “I just not try to get bothered with it and just let him deal with it on his own and just kind of handle it on his own.”
Quinn said he has been in touch with every player, plus Peters to see if there are any extension updates.
“Those guys have been excellent in terms of the communication with me,” Quinn said. “I can speak to Terry, specifically: He’s having a great offseason.”
No one seems to be worried about McLaurin. Certainly not his QB.
“Me and Terry got a good relationship outside of football,” Daniels said. “He’s got to handle what he has to handle, but that doesn’t change anything with the fact that he’s a part of our brotherhood. We know Terry’s working and everything, so we got to get better and he knows he’s got to get better each and every day.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
