“This is a great time to discuss it,” he said, seated next to general manager Adam Peters at their pre-camp joint news conference. “And I want you to know it’s not a secret.

The on-field plan won’t be hidden, not with open practices overseen by reporters and a handful witnessed by fans. There’s also nothing classified about the desire to play and start the player selected No. 2 overall in April’s NFL Draft following a rollicking Heisman-Trophy winning season. Still, neither Quinn nor Peters were open about what would come, namely when the starter would be announced.

Marcus Mariota was signed in free agency to compete for and supplement the starting job. The veteran taken second in the 2015 draft has the experience, but the checkmarks for potential, athleticism and hope go in Daniels’ column. This match is checkmated, barring the unforeseen. But Quinn, as is the case with competition across the roster, wants to go step by step.

“It is a journey and a process,” Quinn continued from under the outside media tent positioned several yards uphill from the team’s practice field. “And so as we’re going, when he’s ready, we’ll know. And when he’s ready, he’ll also know.”

Daniels, the leading quarterback in June’s three-day minicamp, and his fellow rookies arrived on Friday for a head-start before their first professional training camp, with Mariota and vets reporting on Tuesday. Months of pre- and post-draft homework on the former LSU standout provided a guide to determining the staff’s approach. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all (matter),” Quinn said.

Peters set the evaluation stage for Daniels and prospects in all seven rounds. “You don’t want to fast track (Daniels), but you don’t want to slow down.”

The other co-headline entering camp is preparing the team for the 2024 regular season and subsequent campaigns. Washington is overhauling the roster — more than half of last year’s players are elsewhere — and the mindset and play-style identity.

“Who we are and how we play, that has to come along,” Quinn said. “If you get that first and get that right, that’s when a lot of success will follow.”

The staff aims to build on the progress made during the spring practices. Quinn credited the team’s perfect attendance even with non-mandatory sessions. That immediate buy-in helps the coaches spread the respective play and work messages for a lineup with potentially 10 to 12 new starters.

The linebacker room with Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu and the edge rushers define a new look. Running back Austin Ekeler and safety Jeremy Chinn are poised for significant roles. Same for three second-round picks: defensive tackle Johnny Newton, cornerback Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott.

Newton, the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, will open camp on the non-football injury list following Jones fracture ankle surgery in May. He underwent a similar procedure on the other foot in January. Peters, who snatched up the interior presence after Newton slipped out of the first round, said the team isn’t rushing the Illinois alum back to practice but expects a return “sooner than later.”

Washington otherwise enters camp healthy, though some veterans may land on the injured list following Tuesday’s pre-camp physicals. Defensive lineman Efe Obada has not practiced since suffering a significant leg injury last season.

Quinn kept any roster or lineup battles he’s watching out of the public discourse. One constant talking point from Washington’s new head coach is seeking information across the roster about what players can and perhaps can’t do. “We’re not going to miss one step of their development.” Two important growth dates will come when Washington travels for joint practices at the New York Jets (Aug. 8) and Miami Dolphins (Aug. 15).

Should the summer showcase prove help is required at certain spots, Peters said his newly formed front office has contingency plans set. Left tackle is frequently mentioned as concerning outside the building. When asked about the position, Peters expressed confidence in longtime reserve/projected starter Cornelius Lucas, who will receive a challenge from third-round pick Brandon Coleman.

Whatever is happening on the field, expect most eyes to focus on Daniels, whether facing those opposing defenses or the daily matchups on the home turf. The starter announcement delay isn’t a carrot-and-stick situation for Quinn, who called Daniels “an extremely motivated player. Some days will feature one passer over the other — backups at the sport’s most crucial position also need reps with the first team — but expect the rookie to garner much more.

“And so through practices, through scrimmages and preseason games all the way down … that’s where the journey will take us,” Quinn said. “We’re not trying to hold back the info, but when we know, we’ll see.”