The Chiefs have officially named freshman Jay Dunn Daniels as their starting defensive back.

ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have finally made official what has been expected since the NFL Draft: Jae Dunn Daniels is their starting quarterback.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced the move on Monday, though Daniels, who was selected second overall in April, has been working with the first team exclusively in training camp for the past three weeks.

Prior to that time, Marcus Mariota was typically the first to step in at defensive back, though Daniels would take snaps with the starters in both full-team and 7-on-7 drills.

Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, also started the first two preseason games. Mariota was unavailable for Saturday’s game in Miami with a hamstring issue, but that didn’t affect Daniels’ condition.

In two preseason games, Daniels completed 12 of 15 passes for 123 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass but scored on a three-yard run against the New York Jets on a zone read.

In the game against New York, he completed a 42-yard pass to receiver Diammi Brown after coming off a screen pass in coverage. On Saturday, Daniels completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards, featuring a quick release that avoided the pressure of multiple rushes and prevented him from getting beaten in the pocket. Daniels’ average time before throwing against the Dolphins was 2.02 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.

Since his arrival, Daniels has been praised by teammates and coaches for his ball-setting ability and passing accuracy — both of which have been evident in games as well; his work ethic; his poise on the field and his personality that draws teammates in. Daniels has a mix of “humility and arrogance,” Quinn said.

Washington fell in love with Daniels early in the draft process but didn’t announce its intentions to select him, even though he was the player many coaches and executives outside of Washington said should be the pick. The Commanders wanted to make sure no one else was overlooked — just in case the Chicago Bears did the unexpected and passed on Caleb Williams for Daniels.

The qualities that stood out in Washington before the draft are the same qualities that have been praised since Daniels joined the team, but the team wanted to make sure Daniels was ready.