It’s been a roller coaster ride for quarterback Sam Hartman. He had been the Washington Commanders’ No. 3 quarterback, but when backup quarterback Marcus Mariota returned from a groin injury, the team did not use him on its roster.
As a result, the Commanders cut Hartman on Thursday, making him available to any NFL team. A day later, the Commanders brought Hartman back as a practice squad player.
Practice squad players make nothing of the NFL minimum ($795,000 per year), but Hartman is now available for reinstatement to the active roster in the event of a quarterback injury. Hartman is an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame and he did well enough in training camp to become head coach Dan Quinn. training team.
However, the Commanders have become one of the top stories in the NFL this season due to the play of another rookie quarterback. Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick in last spring’s NFL Draft, has been superb in Washington’s first five games of the season and the Commanders sit in first place in the NFC East with a 4-1 record.
Daniels leads the way for commanders
Going into the season, Daniels was expected to go through the growing pains that most rookie quarterbacks face when introduced to the NFL. The ability to read defenses and diagnose where the pass rush is coming from usually takes time for young quarterbacks to learn. Instead of performing consistently, the beginning of a career is often focused on survival mode.
That hasn’t been the case for Daniels, who appears to be following the example set by Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who was superb as a rookie last season. Daniels was flawlessly accurate in his first five NFL games, completing 101 of 131 passes for 1,135 yards with 4 touchdown passes and just 2 interceptions. His 77.1 completion percentage is off the charts, and it seems unreasonable that he could maintain that level for a full season.
In addition to his great passes, Daniels also got the job done on the court. He gained 300 rushing yards on 57 carries and scored 4 touchdowns.
Even though Daniels contributed, he doesn’t represent the whole story of Washington’s successful season. Receiver Terry McLaurin is one of the most consistent receivers in the league and has caught 23 passes for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns.
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Running back Brian Robinson contributed to strong rushing numbers, as he carried the ball 73 times for 325 yards and found the end zone 5 times.
The Commanders have won four straight games since losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They face a tough test in Week 6 when they face the Ravens in Baltimore.
Steve Silverman has covered the NFL for more than 35 years and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”
