Tuesday was the “First day of school,” according to Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn.
The burgundy and gold returned to the field as a team for the first time since they left Philadelphia as NFC runner-ups in January. Terry McLaurin was not present and was subsequently moved to the Reserve/Did Not Report List, where he will incur a $50,000 fine for every day he is absent.
Meanwhile, the head of the D.C. City Council reportedly reached an agreement with the Commanders, opening the possibility of a vote to approve the team’s move back to the RFK site.
There are only two weeks until the Commanders participate in a joint practice with the New England Patriots and 16 days until their first preseason game. There are many moving parts, but the team proved last year that it is cool in the face of pressure.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the start of Commanders training camp.
Five notes from Commanders training camp
Jayden is sharp – mentally and physically
Daniels threw 30 touchdowns across the regular and postseason last year en route to an Offensive Rookie of the Year Trophy.
Even without his superstar receiver, McLaurin, by his side, he only needed one play to throw his first score of camp.
Daniels hooked up with a peach of a ball to Deebo Samuel on a slot fade to the back of the end zone, threading the ball past the nearby Tyler Owens. While just one play, it is an exciting reminder of the talent that the Commanders acquired with the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While Daniels visibly added muscle during the offseason, it’s hard to imagine how he could improve significantly on his rookie performance. However, he said that he wasn’t content with his first-year showing.
“[I worked on my] footwork, my control within the pocket; maneuvering, keeping my eyes downfield, putting myself in different situations where I might have to emulate breaking a tackle… getting my feet under me, making throws,” Daniels said.
Everyone is tight-lipped on the McLaurin situation
To little surprise, McLaurin, who will turn 30 in September, did not show up to practice.
Coach Quinn said that he did not feel obligated to involve himself beyond the role of a traditional coach, and noted that McLaurin’s situation is “part of the business of the NFL.”
“I don’t get too worked up about it,” said coach Quinn. “We love him; I know [the front office] is working real hard.
“This happens on teams all over, so the longer you’ve been in it, the more you recognize that’s just part of how things go.”
McLaurin is due to make $19.7 million as part of the final year of a three-year, $68.4 million contract he signed in 2022. He’s reportedly seeking a long-term deal worth at least $30 million annually, while the Commanders are reluctant to pay him that amount.
Overthecap estimates that the 2026 non-exclusive franchise tag will be worth $28.1 million for receivers in 2026, meaning the Commanders could tag him again for $33.7 million in 2027.
That effectively translates to the Commanders already having a three-year hold on McLaurin for an average annual value of $27.2 million.
McLaurin will lose $50,000 every day he doesn’t show up to camp. Fox Sports’ Felix Trammell said that he heard “there is dialogue” between General Manager Adam Peters and the receiver’s camp.
The stadium deal agreement could be around the corner
NBC News4 reporter Mark Segraves on late Wednesday morning reported that D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson came to an agreement with the Commanders over the financing for their new stadium. The details are not publicly known, but they include reworked financial terms.
With Mendelson’s approval, a vote could happen in the next few days.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has been an advocate of the Commanders’ relocation to D.C. and worked with Josh Harris to convince the City Council to give their approval.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said that he would consider preventing the Commanders from returning to Washington D.C. if they didn’t change their name back to the Washington Redskins.
Trump had previously offered his help to the team after the City Council voted not to approve their proposal.
Sam Cosmi is excelling in his rehabilitation
On Tuesday, coach Quinn said that he saw Pro Bowl guard Sam Cosmi, who tore his ACL in the divisional round of the playoffs, nearly every day during the summer as he worked to rehab his knee.
Today, he said that he wouldn’t rule out Cosmi’s possible return for Week 1.
“I think it’s on the table [he’s ready for Week 1], for sure,” said Quinn. “He’s hitting all of the markers… I think we’ll have a better answer on that as we get closer to the end of the preseason. I’m very encouraged with the work he’s put in.”
Cosmi was expected to play right guard alongside a line consisting of Laremy Tunsil, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, and Josh Conerly Jr. The reworked unit landed seventh on Pro Football & Sports Network’s list of the best offensive lines and will play a major role in the Commanders’ divisional success against players such as Micah Parsons, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Dexter Lawrence, among others.
More offensive line importance
Coach Quinn said the arrival of Conerly Jr., the team’s first-round draft pick, and Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowler, will unlock new dimensions of their offense and make them more athletic.
He cited two specific areas of improvement: outside run concepts such as counters and tosses, and screen passes.
“You have to sustain that block on your feet, and it’s in space,” said Quinn. “Those are the two areas I think, pulling and being in space, where you can go sustain on a screen, and if you can go get a block on a screen you give a guy like Deebo [Samuel] a chance to go hit a crease. That’s a big deal.”
The Commanders’ coach also highlighted the importance of letting Conerly Jr., who is moving to right tackle after playing on the left at Oregon, get reps against Von Miller during practice.
“In the morning meetings with the staff, [we talked about] when can we do this?” Quinn said. “That’s exactly the type of competition that we’re talking about.”
