Washington Commanders fans know the importance of patience. They have been waiting through an uncertain and disappointing quarterback situation for some time now. They are ready for rookie Jayden Daniels to usher in a new era, and will therefore accept the inevitable teething pains that will come their way during the 2024-25 NFL season.

However, the Heisman Trophy winner himself doesn’t seem to be a patient man. Even though it’s only the preseason, Daniels is already wowing fans in his first game for the Commanders. He announced his arrival in pretty exciting fashion during Saturday’s game against the New York Jets.

On third-and-6 from his own 34-yard line, Daniels hooked up with wide receiver Dyami Brown and caught a 42-yard pass. The 23-year-old quarterback completed his first successful pass and put his team in a great position to score. He let running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler gain a few yards and then finished the drive with a nice fake handoff to Ekeler and a three-yard rushing touchdown. That’s how you make a first impression.

Daniel’s afternoon ended with him completing two of his three passes over 45 yards. Despite being a tiny sample size in an exhibition match, he passed this warm-up test with flying colors. Fans wanted to see him show poise and preparation, and he upped the ante and gave them some memorable highlights.

The NFL world reacts. “Seriously, this first drive couldn’t have gone better for the No. 2 pick with all the hype,” posted JP Finlay of NBC4 Washington on X, formerly Twitter. “What a start to Jayden Daniels’ NFL career.”

The former LSU Tigers star did his job well, endearing himself to Washington fans by paying tribute to Super Bowl 22 MVP Doug Williams before the game and then cheering them all Wear heart eyes when the action on the field began. “Commanders fans are crying real tears,” Barstool Sports posted after Daniels’ bomb against Brown.

He showed the same confidence in his arm that he did last season in Baton Rouge, and it paid off on Saturday. There are obviously still a lot of questions Daniels will have to answer with his game when the regular season begins, but he’s off to a promising start.