Washington Commanders draw huge training camp crowd

More than 12 years later, Shaw is still a Washington fan. He tries to come down every year for training camp, but this year felt different.

It was the same for Ty Laurie, who drove 12 hours from Montreal to stand with Shaw outside the Commanders’ training facility at 4:30 a.m. The pair were among the first of nearly 3,000 fans to attend the team’s first open-camp practice, and the first to see new quarterback Jayden Daniels and one of his limited autographs. (The Commanders had limited capacity to 3,000 because of construction on their facility.)

“That’s it,” Shaw said. “I feel like a kid again.”

Just before the Commanders began their 75-minute workout, coach Dan Quinn thanked the fans who had lined the practice field. He then began the workout with his signature “Let’s get it rocking” mantra, which included the usual individual periods, special teams work, and team drills (7-on-7, 11-on-11, red zone).

The crowd was subdued for most of the session, but there was a palpable sense of new hope and excitement.

“Honestly, driving by early this morning and seeing people park on the lawn to get there early, it was a real treat,” Quinn said. “It’s a great reminder of how historic this franchise is. … I definitely had a good feeling about what’s going to happen here next.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) attended the workout and spoke several times to Commanders minority owner Mark Ain, general manager Adam Peters, and members of the media, laying out the selling point for putting the team’s stadium in Maryland. Then he reached out to the fans.

“They saw that I was here on day one and they noticed,” Moore said. “That’s what excites me, not just the thought of what the team can do on the field, but also what we can do together off the field.”

The Commanders’ workouts have been mixed. Daniels has been sharp, but his supporting cast has raised some red flags. Right tackle Andrew Wylie did not participate in 11-on-11 drills, two days after rookie Brandon Coleman practiced in his place. Wylie said afterward that he was dealing with some strain (he wouldn’t say where), and the team is “handling it wisely” and expects to be back on Monday.

The Queens typically mix starters and reserves in team training, so the offensive line is often switched, but the group as a whole has committed at least four false start fouls.

Kicker is still a necessity for the Commanders. The team brought in Ramiz Ahmed to replace Brandon McManus, who was released in June after being accused of sexual assault. Ahmed was strong early in camp but struggled to connect from 50 yards or more. Another long attempt hit the post during team practice on Sunday.

But the focus was clearly on the fans. Quinn chatted with some of the youth flag football players after the workout, and the players signed autographs and took selfies with supporters.

Daniels started in the standing-room-only fan section and spent about 15 minutes after the workout signing jerseys, towels, mini-helmets, T-shirts and even fans’ shoes while team staff members with Sharpie pens were nearby.

“He’s done a great job,” backup quarterback Marcus Mariota said of Daniels handling the fan attention. “And it’s not easy. It’s hard to come in and be the guy who’s going to energize the franchise.”

Before being led to the locker room, Daniels took out a pen and wrote on the last sign, “I drove from Massachusetts to see my favorite team!” Shaw was speechless as Daniels wrote his name and thanked him for coming.

“I just lost it,” Shaw said. “I didn’t know what to say. I’m shaking right now. I’m honestly about to cry. He’s my man.”