Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters knew that quarterback Jayden Daniels was going to be special before he even stepped on the field. Peters appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday and was asked when he knew Jayden Daniels would be the cornerstone of the franchise, and there were a few moments that stuck out shortly after drafting Daniels.

There was much controversy from media outlets about how Washington handled selecting its quarterback as it progressed through the draft, but Peters knew all along who he wanted and saw reassurance in his decision very soon after.

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The Washington Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels as the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and he was ready to get to work and become a historic rookie who changes the franchise. Peters goes on to tell McAfee that the Heisman winner wanted to go through plays when he visited Washington after they drafted him, and that he was actually practicing dropbacks on the plane back to Los Angeles as well.

Peters also says that Jayden would continue to connect with his teammates on the field, show an excellent work ethic, and earn everything he got. The hard work later led to results in Jayden Daniels’s rookie season.

Jayden went on to lead the Washington Commanders to a 12-5 season as a rookie phenom and made it to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years. He also scored 37 touchdowns, the most by a Washington quarterback ever, led the team in rushing, and broke league records along the way. Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for 3,500 yards and rush for 800 yards in a season.

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Adam Peters knew Washington had a franchise-changing quarterback early in the process, and the results came throughout the season. The Commanders reloaded for Jayden Daniels this off-season and are looking to get back to the NFC Championship game and, hopefully, the Super Bowl in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Adam Peters knew Jayden Daniels was going to be a special quarterback