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Star Black quarterbacks are no longer the exception, they are the rule. Throughout the football season, this series will explore the prominence and impact of Black quarterbacks, from grassroots to the NFL.

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ASHBURN, Va. – Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is off to a hot start and that doesn’t surprise a former Commanders quarterback.

Jason Campbell, a former first-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins and a four-year starter for the franchise, became a fan of Daniels after watching him play in college at LSU. Daniels’ success as a runner has helped the Commanders during their 1-1 start, Campbell said, and it will help Daniels feel comfortable in the team’s passing game. Campbell is optimistic about Daniels’ future, provided Washington’s coaching staff handles the young player’s development the right way.

As the team prepares at the training complex for a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, Daniels continues to make the right moves, Campbell said.

“One thing he’s doing really well is protecting the ball. He hasn’t thrown an interception yet, and for a rookie quarterback in his first two games, that’s really good,” Campbell told Andscape on Tuesday. “Even if that happens (turnovers), and it will happen, you can tell he understands he’s got to make good decisions with the ball. Now I know they’re trying to protect him from so much rushing. I know it’s a big deal (because of the potential for injury). There was a lot of talk about him rushing 16 times the first week.

“But it’s not like they had 16 designed runs for him. If they did, that would be a problem. But most of those runs were scrambles. Those runs are going to open up explosive plays in the passing game because of the pressure it puts on the defense when a quarterback can run the way he can. There’s just not a lot of guys who can do that. The difference so far with Washington from LSU is that in addition to his running, he had so many explosive passing plays at LSU. Once he starts building that chemistry with his receivers, combined with his running, those plays are going to happen.”

Daniels, 23, was selected second overall in the 2024 draft and was one of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, tying a record set in 1983. After two games, the Washington rookie was the best of the group.

Daniels has completed 75.5 percent of his passes for 410 passing yards. While he has no touchdown passes, Daniels also has no interceptions, more importantly. Daniels has 132 rushing yards (and a sparkling 5.1 yards per rush average) with two rushing touchdowns. He has fumbled twice, but the Commanders have recovered the ball each time.

By comparison, the other two starting rookie signal-callers, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and No. 12 pick Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, have struggled. Both seemed overwhelmed by the speed of the game.

After the visiting Commanders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Daniels’ debut, he showed poise in their home game. Confidently, Daniels led a game-winning drive that closed out a 21-18 victory over the New York Giants. With the Commanders trailing 18-15 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels led the team on consecutive drives that resulted in field goals, including a 30-yarder as time expired. On those drives, he completed a total of 7 of 9 passes for 91 yards. Daniels rushed for two times for 15 yards.

While watching Daniels at LSU, Campbell thought the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner’s game would be a good fit in the NFL because “this is the era in the league, it’s all about the RPO (run-pass option),” Campbell said. “These NFL coaches now want guys who can make plays with their legs. And from the moment you first see him, you can tell he really does that.”

In his current role as a radio analyst for Auburn Sports Network, Campbell has seen Daniels play in the SEC on many occasions. Campbell was selected as an analyst at his alma mater in 2023 and was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. That season, he led undefeated Auburn to an SEC championship and a Sugar Bowl victory.

Washington selected Campbell in the first round (25th overall) of the 2005 draft. He went on to have a 10-year NFL career, including playing for the then-Oakland Raiders, Bears, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

The first time Campbell saw Daniels, who transferred to LSU after three seasons at Arizona State, play in person, one thought immediately crossed my mind: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Daniels wasn’t as polished as Jackson, the two-time AP NFL MVP, “you could see some of the same things,” Campbell said. “Guys like Lamar, Jalen Hurts (of the Philadelphia Eagles), Justin Fields (of the Pittsburgh Steelers) … they make big plays with their legs.

“When I was playing, they (coaches) always wanted you to stay in the pocket. If you didn’t stay in the pocket, it was like, ‘Damn. I did something wrong.’ Now, if you can get out of the pocket and run like those guys can, coaches see that as an extra threat. The whole attitude of coaches has changed. Now it’s a big bonus. The RPO game has really allowed guys to come in, hit the ground running and learn on the field. A guy like Daniels can beat you with his legs just as much as he can with his arm.”

As a member of Washington’s black quarterback community, Campbell has a vested interest in Daniels’ development.

Then-quarterback Doug Williams’ iconic, mythical Super Bowl performance came when he led Washington to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII in 1988. Williams became the first Black passer to start in the Super Bowl and won the game’s MVP award.

Though Williams, a senior adviser to Washington’s general manager, was not drafted by the Commanders and has started just 14 games for the franchise in four seasons, every black quarterback to play for the team has done so in his shadow, Campbell said. The club also drafted Robert Griffin III (2012, No. 2 overall) and Dwayne Haskins (2019, No. 15 overall) in the first round.

“You do feel like there’s a little bit of extra pressure to live up to that,” Campbell said. “Because he was the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and he did it for Washington, that’s a big thing.

“But the bottom line is, to make it anywhere in this league as a quarterback, you’ve got to be in the right place, in the right situation, and have the right pieces around you. (Daniels) is trending in the right direction right now.”

And because they’re hungry for success, Commanders fans are hoping Daniels stays on his current course.