Before the Washington Commanders drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels from the LSU Tigers with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Commanders fanbase was not clinging onto a lot of hope. All of that changed ever since he stepped onto the football field for Washington.
The Commanders finished with an 11-6 record during the 2024 season and were the sixth seed in the NFC. Washington defeated the #3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the #1 Detroit Lions on the road in the postseason before they lost to NFC East rivals #2 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game. Despite that, 2024 was a success for the Commanders and a step in the right direction. Daniels was the offensive rookie of the year, and he is already proving to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Washington Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels Received Major Praise From One NFL Coordinator
Many different executives, coaches, and scouts talked to espn.com writer Jeremy Fowler about the quarterback position. To no surprise, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow were ranked in the Top 4 of the position. The surprise comes in at number five and Daniels was ranked as the fifth-best quarterback in the NFL entering the 2025 season.
He made a major splash in the NFL during his rookie season, and some think he could have a sophomore slump, like Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud did. Also, one NFL coordinator who was facing Daniels during the 2024 NFL season made comments to Fowler about the Commanders superstar quarterback. They said,
“Single-handedly took one of the worst franchises to the NFC title game as a rookie with a bad defense, one legitimate wide receiver, a dinosaur at tight end [12th-year pro Zach Ertz] and average-at-best OL. The kid can read coverages, throw with accuracy and touch to all levels of the field, just as dangerous as Lamar and Josh Allen with his legs and has a clutch factor to him because his team already believes that if he has the ball with a chance to win, he’s going to find a way. If he repeats anything close to his rookie year, he’s no lower than No. 3 on this list next year.”
Daniels is only 24 years old, and he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for a long time. The fact that he led Washington to an NFC title game in his first NFL season was quite impressive. He completed 69.0% of his passes for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 891 yards on 148 carries and six touchdowns, along with averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
Daniels was ranked ahead of players like Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will Washington have the same success in season two with Daniels at quarterback? Well, Dan Quinn is the head coach and Kliff Kingsbury returns as the offensive coordinator once again.
Washington for now will need to sign Terry McLaurin, the star wide receiver to a long-term deal. They also acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason. The Commanders face the New York Giants at home in Week 1 and Daniels, and this team needs to get into the win column.
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