Ahead of the Washington Commanders preseason contest against the New York Jets, the two clubs will hold a joint practice, which is common across the league. They’ll get to throw on the pads against someone other than themselves before officially hitting the gridiron for an exhibition game.

Oftentimes, when joint practices are held, they are multi-day events. The Commanders and Jets will hold just one practice before they match up for a preseason game. Jets head coach Robert Saleh prefers just one practice to maintain health and not run any larger risk in that aspect.

Still, the one joint practice is an opportunity for the Commanders and head coach Dan Quinn. What is the Washington head coach looking for or not looking for in the joint practice, though?

“No, I think like, you could say like a struggle, but that’s kind of part of it too, to see how people respond and go. I’m pretty wide open to go,” Quinn explained. “I think the main thing I want to see is just like relentlessly competing. And I’m certain that I’ll see that. That’s part of the identity of how we want to do things.”

This will be the first time No. 2 overall pick and potential franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels will see an opposing NFL defense. He’ll be able to get a look at a tough defense and try to beat them, which will give the coaching staff an idea of where he’s at.

“I’ve loved the preseason for a long time because there’s some opportunities for some of the younger players in their development to really showcase and prove it,” Quinn continued. “Look, for many of them, they’ve been waiting their whole lives to play in the NFL. It’s okay, now you’re here. And so, what does that process look like on the first one? And I’ll often have some veterans talk about their first preseason game, ‘Oh, I was terrible, I was up all night worried’, or you know, ‘I was at the stadium too early’. So knowing what that process looks like for the first guys, and their first game, it’s fun. And I think I look back to that night before that first preseason game for years and enjoy it for the rookies as much as anybody.”

For the Commanders, the joint practice and preseason game both pose a big opportunity. The club is returning the least amount of production from a season ago, and the new-look roster will get a chance to mesh while competing against some outside competition. With Quinn looking to establish a culture in his first season with the team, even exhibition games can make a big impact for Washington.