Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has insisted that Jayden Daniels' path to being a starting NFL quarterback is a journey, not a secret. On Saturday, he'll take another step on that path.

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner, will play in the Commanders' preseason opener against the New York Jets, Quinn confirmed during his Sunday morning press conference.

"I think we've probably said it all along there's been a whole process," Quinn. "It's not been a secret at all but a process of how we're going to go get guys ready. So, the games are important, to go and play and get ready -- not just with Jayden, but with everybody."

Quinn did not specify how much Daniels would play in Saturday's preseason game, which is scheduled to kick off at noon in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Commanders have not been vocal about their exact plans for Daniels, but it is noticeable that his usage has increased through the first two weeks of camp. While he and Mariota are still splitting time with the starting offense, Daniels has been getting more reps by the day. Over the past two practices, Daniels has worked almost exclusively with the starters.

Although Daniels admitted he still has a way to go before being a starter, he has shown gradual progress in commanding the huddle, getting comfortable in the offense and using his skill set. He continues to get the ball out quickly, build a relationship with his targets and even show off parts of his game that he didn't show as much in college like hitting receivers in the middle of the field.

The next step for Daniels is to look impressive against another defense that he hasn't seen for the better part of three months. He's not shying away from it.

"Going out there will be a different challenge for not just me, but the whole team, going against someone you're not familiar with," Daniels said.

Although Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury in Week 1 upended the Jets' hopes for the 2023 season, their defense remained one of the league's best with the third best DVOA. They gave up the second fewest passing yards per game (168.3), led by Sauce Gardner with the second-best Pro Football Focus coverage grade (90.8) among cornerbacks.

Daniels knows it will be an opportunity to see where he is at in his development, but his goals for what he wants to gain out of the joint practice and preseason game against the Jets are larger than making himself look good against a good secondary.

Asked about what he wants to accomplish, Daniels said, "How sharp can we be, how fast can we execute our offense, limit the presnap penalties and postsnap penalties and just go out there and execute at a high level."

Daniels acknowledged that he doesn't know exactly what to expect during the first preseason game of his NFL career, and that includes whether he'll be the starter. Quinn did not reveal that detail to reporters or Daniels, and Daniels brushed off questions about when he'll play in the game itself.

All Daniels knows is that he will be on the field, that's enough for him.

"I trust them [Quinn and general manager Adam Peters] fully with their plan and stuff like that, bringing me along," Daniels said. "So, that's up to them at this point. But for me, I just go out there and [say], 'How can I better myself each and every day?' And just go out there and compete hard."

Here are some more observations from Sunday's practice.

-- First, some updates on the offensive line: Andrew Wylie was still experiencing some tightness that kept him out of 11-on-11 drills, while Sam Cosmi was absent from practice entirely. Trent Scott and Michael Deiter took their place as the starting right tackle and right guard, respectively.

-- The Commanders also made a roster move ahead of practice by signing defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth and releasing cornerback Christian Holmes. Stallworth, an undrafted free agent South Carolina, played with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and has 52 tackles in his career.

-- Olamide Zaccheaus' roster status has not been in question, but it looks like the veteran wide receiver is starting to develop a real connection with his quarterbacks. He has stood out more and more over the past week, particularly during one-on-one matchups. He had an over-the-shoulder touchdown grab -- something that has occurred a few times now -- over Kyu Blu Kelly. Zaccheaus has been more of a special teams weapon in his career, but he could be a solid depth piece if he continues to carve out an offensive role for himself.

-- Emmanuel Forbes Jr. has shown consistent improvement in coverage from his rookie season. He wrapped up one-on-one drills with a pass breakup working against Dyami Brown, which earned some praise from one of the defensive backs coaches.

-- Mike Sainristil is still part of the contingent of players catching kicks in kickoff return and punt return drills, and it's easy to see why the team is giving the Michigan defensive back a shot to get on the field. He showed impressive vision moving through his blockers, zipping past tacklers for a decent gain.

-- A small update on the kicking competition: Ramiz Ahmed finished the day hitting 4-of-5 field goals, while Riley Patterson was 3-of-5.

-- Today featured the best example of what Daniels can do as a runner. Working with the starters in situational drills, Daniels escaped down the left sideline and ran all the way for a touchdown, pointing to the sky in celebration after hitting pay dirt. The play was called back because of a penalty, but seeing what the young quarterback can do with his legs still generated some excitement from the fans.

-- Finally, the competition at the bottom of the receiver room is heating up, particularly between Brycen Tremayne and Mitchell Tinsley. It's been a common occurrence for Tremayne to come up with explosive plays in practice, and he did it again by wrapping up the day on a touchdown pass from Mariota. Tinsley also had an impressive play during 11-on-11 drills by coming down with a leaping grab near the middle of the field.