ASHBURN, VA (WTKR)- Day one of Commanders training camp is underway as the team embraces its clean slate for 2026. Washington hopes to march towards success and the excitement was in the air to kick off camp.
"It's the best," smiled wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. "I watched Little Giants this weekend and got amped up, got pretty juiced up. It's funny, those same feelings those kids have playing football we kind of bring out here and it's exciting every year."
"We're blessed enough to come play this game," fellow wide receiver Jaylin Lane added. "We've been playing our whole lives at the highest level and not many people get this opportunity so I'm not going to take it for granted. I'm going to take every day with a smile on my face and a chip on my shoulder."
Lane isn't the only one with a chip on his shoulder. The Commander are coming off a 5-12 showing in 2025, well short of expectations. Dan Quinn reiterated Tuesday night that he was hoping to run his most competitive camp and the players felt that on the first day Wednesday morning.
"Whatever DQ has up there for our competition for today, we compete in that, we compete in all the team drills," quarterback Jayden Daniels pointed out. "Just get the juices flowing, get the guys ready and get that competitive edge."
"Last year, it sucked," exclaimed safety Jeremy Reaves. "We're not trying to lose games, especially when you come off the year you had the year before. It's frustrating and that's something I sat with all offseason so the energy is different."
Of course, 2025 does not sit well with anybody in the locker room. With that said, the players and coaches have worked to put that behind them and be full speed ahead for 2026.
"I'm trying to be a great teammate for the guys out here for this year," Reaves said. "This is what matters. Last year's schedule and rankings don't matter now. Everybody's got the same slate. Everybody's going to have a week one game."
"I think we've got a lot of guys that are bought in," McCaffrey added. "I think that creates an environment of competition so we're having a lot of fun doing that."
Some notes from day one of camp:
Punter Tress Way was placed on the non-football injury list.
Cornerback Trey Amos, defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. and defense end Dorance Armstrong all begin camp on the PUP list. Linebacker Kain Medrano was added to the PUP list Wednesday.
Wes Welker took the field working with the tight ends. He took over after the team parted ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele earlier this week.
General manager Adam Peters was spotted on the sidelines taking in practice.
The team practiced for just short of 90 minutes to get things going. Washington will hit the field again Thursday at 8:30 before a walk-through that is closed to the media Friday.
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