Commanders hosted 4 top QB prospects at once, and Jayden Daniels' agent wasn't happy
It's never the best idea to make your potential future franchise quarterback mad right before you draft him.
The Washington Commanders reportedly might not have endeared themselves to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels this week.
The Commanders, who have the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft and are expected by everyone to select a quarterback, hosted four of the top quarterback prospects in the draft on the same day. Apparently, Daniels didn't like that much. Or at least his agent didn't.
Ron Butler of Agency 1 Sports, who represents Daniels, liked two social media posts criticizing the Commanders for the unusual approach, according to Commanders Wire. Then on ESPN's "Get Up" on Friday, reporter Adam Schefter echoed the sentiment that Butler seemed displeased and added that Daniels thought it would be just him meeting the team. Maybe that's a reason the betting odds for Drake Maye going No. 2 got a lot shorter on Thursday night.
Regardless, it's some extra drama less than a week before the draft starts and the Commanders go on the clock.
Commanders host 4 QBs at once
The Commanders hosted Daniels, Maye, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. on Tuesday and Wednesday. That's very unusual, especially for players at the same position who are essentially competing to be drafted ahead of each other.
"What's cool is we got to see them all together in a group setting," Commanders general manager Adam Peters said, via John Keim of ESPN. "They all got a lot of time individually with coaches and with us. They were staggered coming in, too. It was a great blend of that and working everyone together in a fun environment."
While Daniels' agent liking posts critical of the process doesn't necessarily mean much, it seems not everyone thought it was a "fun environment."
What will happen at No. 2?
The Commanders have maintained that they haven't made a decision yet on the second pick, though Daniels has been considered to be the favorite to land in Washington for weeks.
Daniels' agent apparently not liking the process would probably be unlikely to dissuade the Commanders from taking Daniels if they feel he's the best quarterback after Caleb Williams, who is a lock to go first overall. But it is some unnecessary drama just before Washington should be celebrating a new era with a new and exciting rookie quarterback.
The Commanders have been a bit of a mystery with the second pick. They haven't said much about the pick, other than they don't plan to trade it, and there hasn't been much reported about their intentions. Having four quarterbacks in for a visit a little more than a week before the draft indicates that they are still considering options.
Maybe the latest drama will affect their thinking on a franchise-changing draft pick. If nothing else, it has generated the type of headlines Washington wasn't looking for right before the Commanders take their new quarterback.
