With the Washington Commanders' quarterback situation behind rookie starting Jayden Daniels and backup veteran Marcus Mariota in flux, Jeff Driskel is at an interesting crossroads between proving himself as a viable third option at quarterback and providing leadership to the younger guys in the room.
As one of the players who has been around different systems and teams, Driskel can relate to the adjustment period Daniels is going through as he continues to calibrate to his new teammates and coaches.
Of the five quarterbacks currently on the Commanders' roster, none have been a part of more systems than Driskel. The 31-year-old journeyman was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and has since made stops in Cincinnati, Detroit, Denver, Houston, Arizona and Cleveland before signing with Washington in April of this year.
In Driskel's eight years of league experience, he's had the opportunity to learn from notable names such as Andy Dalton, a young Matthew Stafford and even a veteran Joe Flacco during his time on the Browns. These experiences have shown Driskel not only how to be a leader, but what a good quarterback looks like. In watching Daniels throughout the preseason and in practice, Driskel thinks the rookie has passed every test he has been presented with thus far.
"He's played in big games before and proven he can do it at a high level, this level," Driskel said. "So, I'm just excited for him to go out there and for the world to kind of see what we've been seeing since he was picked here.
"It's one of those deals where you don't really see the same mistake twice, ever, and that's what you want to see. Especially somebody who has a lot on his plate this early, it's really impressive. He's a very smart player, a very instinctual player and it shows up on gameday."
The Washington Commanders held one final practice before their preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Here's a look at all the action from Friday.
Daniels' appreciation of Driskel's leadership hasn't gone unnoticed, either. Following the Washington Commanders' official announcement of Daniels as the team's starting quarterback, the rookie gave a special nod to his mentors in the quarterback room.
"I couldn't do it on my own, family, support system, the organization here, [Managing Partner] Mr. [Josh] Harris, all them for drafting me," Daniels said. "And even the people in the quarterback room. I mean, shout out to Marcus for taking me under his wing, being a great mentor, Jeff Driskel, man, they're looking out for me and helping me out a lot," said Daniels.
The statement is a testament not only to the closeness of the quarterback room, but Driskel's innate ability to balance being a mentor to the younger quarterbacks and his own personal goals of making the 53-man roster.
"I think we have a really good room with some young guys, some guys that have been around, been in a bunch of systems," Driskel said after practice Wednesday. "I try to help out anybody in the quarterback room, whether it's Marcus, whether it's Jayden, whether it's Sam [Hartman], whether it's Trace [McSorley]. And we all have stuff that we bounce off of each other so it's a really good dynamic, we work well together."
When Driskel took over for Daniels in the second quarter of Sunday's 13-6 preseason loss in Miami, he displayed a seamless transition between off-field mentor and focused roster-bubble player. Driskel showed off his speed with an impressive 41-yard run in his opening play of the second quarter, and his shifty legs allowed him to weave between defenders and break tackles before being taken down.
The remarkable dash brought the team within field goal range and was the second-longest play for either team that night.
Driskel finished the day leading the team with 45 rushing yards on four carries, completing 11 of 15 pass attempts. The notable run compliments his strong arm during the preseason game against the Jets the week prior, in which he threw a 21-yard bomb to connect with rookie tight end Ben Sinnott, who extended the play with yards after catch for a total of 44 yards.
Driskel's strong play only adds to his value, allowing him to contend for a spot on the 53-man roster. Although Head Coach Dan Quinn has yet to determine personnel for Sunday's final preseason game against the Patriots, Driskel will be ready no matter if his role is on the field or as a mentor on the sideline come gameday.
