Commanders

Commanders QB Athan Kaliakmanis is thrilled to learn from HC Dan Quinn and noted that the culture in Washington reminds him of his time with both Minnesota and Rutgers during his college career.

“The competitive spirit inside the building,” Kaliakmanis told Bryan Colbert Jr. of the team website. “It just fit me. It reminded me of my time at Minnesota [and] my time at Rutgers; a culture-fit team, and that’s exactly what Coach [Dan] Quinn has here.”

“The players love him; the coaches love him,” Kaliakmanis added. “We all are gonna work together. We’re gonna get better, and it’s just an amazing experience so far. That’s what I can say so far. I love it here. I feel like I’m getting smarter as a football player. If they have questions or if I have questions, we’re just gonna work together as a team, and we’re gonna help each other get better.”

Cowboys

Dallas is planning to let WR George Pickens play the season on the franchise tag before committing to a long-term deal. One NFL executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Pickens’ price is going to “skyrocket” because of the state of the receiver market, and he admits he thought it would get ugly between the two sides this offseason.

“Dallas is going to face a big decision because Pickens is set up to have another productive season and the receiver market has skyrocketed,” the executive said. “If they tag him again without the promise of a new deal, he could revolt.”

“I’m kind of surprised it didn’t get ugly this offseason. I understand the character stuff, but he produced at a ridiculous level last year. If he does it again, then he can hold their feet to the fire a little more. And they still have to be willing to hold that franchise tag number on their [2027] books, which isn’t always easy.”

Giants

Giants QB Jaxson Dart was evaluated for head injuries on five occasions during his rookie year, prompting some discussion about the sustainability of his playstyle. Dart acknowledged he has to protect himself better, but admitted he’s always going to fight for the extra yards in the bigger moments. 

“The most important thing that I learned is I got to be on the field,” Dart said, via Charlotte Carroll. “But at the same time, if it’s third-down, fourth-down, they’re standing my way, I’m gonna go right through them.”Jaxson Dar