Jayden Daniels' first 11-on-11 throw of camp is an over-the-shoulder connection with Deebo Samuel

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Picture what Jayden Daniels can do for an encore now that he’s experienced against NFL opposition. Teammate Bobby Wagner has seen enough to imagine it.

“The confidence will grow. Understanding what teams are trying to do, the mixing of coverages. Playing against those defenses is going to serve him really good (now),” said Wagner, a linebacker entering his 14th season in the league. “I think he’s going to make a big, big leap.”

It took just one pass on Day 1 of the Washington Commanders' training camp Wednesday to justify the belief in the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

On his first toss in 11-on-11 drills, Daniels, working from just outside the red zone, looked left for one of his newest targets, Deebo Samuel. The design — two receivers on crossing routes, with Samuel running a slot fade — isolated the former 49ers Pro Bowler in a 1-on-1 matchup. Tight coverage from second-year safety Tyler Owens left Daniels with a minuscule margin for error.

Still, Daniels threaded a perfect ball into the tightest of windows, landing it over the shoulder in stride.

Even with the understanding that the no-pads practice is closer to a walkthrough than live game action, the pass had onlookers gasping. Daniels’ brilliance in leading Washington to its first NFC championship game appearance since 1991 raised expectations to the point where maybe no bar is high enough.

“One thing I’ve learned over the year from Jayden,” coach Dan Quinn said, “(is) there are no limits on him.”

Whether the same can be said for the Commanders, coming off a surprising 12-5 regular season, followed by playoff wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, is another question. Having the preternaturally poised and athletically gifted Daniels keeps optimism high for 2025 and beyond.

That’s in part because of Daniels’ mentality. Despite the massive attention following his dynamic debut — Daniels became the only rookie quarterback in league history with at least 3,500 passing yards (3,568) and 750 rushing yards (a rookie-record 891) — he arrived at camp with his feet firmly on the ground.

“That’s kind of just who I am: gratitude and humility," Daniels said about focusing amid an increasingly chaotic world around him. "I don’t really look too much into everything, but I would just say just my inner circle, the people I talk to, the people closest to me — they help me stay grounded.”

Daniels said he spent the offseason focused on fundamentals. Footwork in the pocket. Keeping his eyes on the field. Scenarios where he might need to break a tackle or escape pressure.

Washington’s offense soared last season with tone-setters Daniels and Terry McLaurin. The second-team All-Pro receiver — who can become a free agent after this season — skipped a chunk of the offseason program because of a contract dispute and remained away from the team as camp opened.

Washington placed McLaurin on the reserve/did not report list Tuesday.

Daniels supports his teammate — “We know he’s working; he’s still our brother,” the QB said — while downplaying any notion of a chemistry calamity from McLaurin’s absence.

“I think it’s an overstated thing,” Daniels said. “Obviously, me and Terry have a very good relationship. That’s just the business of the NFL. Whenever that time comes, and he’s back out on the field, I don’t think we’ll miss a beat.”

As the pass to Samuel showed, Daniels certainly hasn’t.

NOTES: The Commanders placed right guard Sam Cosmi on the physically unable to perform list. Cosmi had ACL surgery after getting injured during Washington’s divisional round playoff victory against the Lions. The standard recovery time suggests an October return, but Quinn spoke optimistically about possibly having the starter back earlier.

This story has been corrected to show Daniels was just outside the red zone, not inside the red zone, on his first toss in drills.

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Washington Commanders linebacker Von Miller (24) arrives for practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Washington Commanders linebacker Von Miller (24) runs a drill during practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) arrives practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) gestures during practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws during practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a shipyard to inspect the construction of what the North describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, which the leader has called a crucial step in the modernization and nuclear armament of North Korea’s navy. The North has indicated it plans to arm the submarine with nuclear weapons, calling it a “strategic guided missile submarine” or a “strategic nuclear attack submarine.”

During the visit, Kim described South Korea’s efforts to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarine, which have been backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, as an “offensive act” that severely violates the North’s security and maritime sovereignty.

He said that the South Korean plan further underscores the need to advance and nuclear-arm North Korea’s navy, and claimed that the completion of his nuclear-powered submarine would be an “epoch-making” change in strengthening its nuclear war deterrent against what he called enemy threats.

The agency did not specify when Kim visited the shipyard but released photos showing him inspecting a huge, burgundy-colored vessel, coated with what appears to be anti-corrosion paint, under construction inside an assembly hall with senior officials and his daughter. It was the first time North Korean state media had released images of the submarine since March, when they mostly showed the lower sections of the vessel.

It was not immediately clear how close North Korea is to completing the vessel. But because submarines are typically built from the inside out, the release of what appears to be a largely completed hull suggests that many core components, including the engine and possibly the reactor, are already in place, said Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University.

“Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,” said Moon, a former submarine officer in the South Korean navy, who believes the North Korean submarine could possibly be tested at sea within months.

A nuclear-powered submarine was one item on a long wish list of sophisticated weaponry that Kim announced during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called growing U.S.-led military threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles.

North Korea has conducted a series of tests to develop some of those systems and recently unveiled a new naval destroyer, which Kim hailed as a major step toward expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of the country’s nuclear forces.

If North Korea obtains a submarine capable of operating stealthily for extended periods and launching missiles from underwater, it would be a worrying development for its neighbors, as such launches would be difficult to detect in advance. But there have been questions about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines.

Some experts say North Korea’s recent alignment with Russia — including sending thousands of troops and military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine — may have helped it to receive crucial technologies in return.

While some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it's more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor, while possibly receiving some technological assistance from Russia.

During a summit with Trump in November, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for U.S. support for South Korea’s efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, while reaffirming a commitment to increase defense spending to ease the burden on the United States.

Trump later said that the United States is open to sharing closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, but it’s not immediately clear where and when the vessel would be built and how Seoul would get the nuclear fuel and reactor technology required.

In a separate report, KCNA said Kim on Wednesday supervised a test of a new, long-range anti-air missile that was fired toward its eastern sea. South Korea’s Defense Ministry didn’t immediately comment on the launch.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened in recent years as Kim accelerated his military nuclear program and deepened alignment with Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Washington and Seoul to revive negotiations aimed at winding down his nuclear and missile programs, which derailed in 2019 following a collapsed summit with Trump during the American president’s first term.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a test of a long-range anti-air missile is launched towards its eastern sea, as seen from an undisclosed location in North Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, third left, visits a shipyard as he inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)