After the Washington Commanders defeated the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday to advance to the NFC Championship game, one thing was certain. The team has found its franchise player in quarterback, Jayden Daniels. The first-year passer continued his brilliant play by completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns.
Teaming with underrated stars like running back Brian Robinson Jr. and wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Daniels has ushered in a new era of football in Washington. After going just 4-13 in 2023, they turned things around this season, finishing with a 12-5 record, good enough for second place in the NFC East and a wild card berth.
While nothing appears to stop the youngster, the task will only get greater from here. Daniels needs two huge wins for his team to claim the Lombardi Trophy. However, he won’t just be battling the NFL’s best teams, but also trying to conquer 57 years of history. No rookie QB has ever won – or even started – a Super Bowl before. Daniels would be the first to climb that mountain.
Daniels has certainly proven why the Commanders took him second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Heisman Trophy winner has had some huge moments in his first season as a pro. He led the team to four fourth-quarter comebacks and threw an impossible Hail Mary pass to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
Daniels also had a five-touchdown performance against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, as the Commanders closed out the regular season schedule having won five games in a row. Daniels ended his first season with 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, and he’s the most likely pick for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Daniels will make history again next week, when he’ll become just the sixth rookie quarterback in NFL history to play in a conference championship game. The last to do so was the 49ers’ Brock Purdy in 2022 – and before that – Mark Sanchez for the Jets in 2009.
Daniels has received plenty of praise from fans, media, and even fellow players around the NFL. He’s been that much of a force this season, and he’s likely only going to get better. Perhaps it’s Coach Dann Quinn’s remarks after his team’s victory that sum up the kind of clutch play Washington has gotten from the rookie.
“He just has a different poise about him than most,” Quinn said. “He’s just a rare competitor, no doubt about that. If he was a basketball player, he’d want the last shot. He makes great decisions with the football. That takes great mindfulness. His poise in these moments really stands out to us.”
So, can a rookie really win the ‘Big One’? While it’s never been done before, Jayden Daniels seems like the type of player who doesn’t believe in timelines or boundaries. Observers need only look at a statement he made before the Lions’ game… one that sounds almost prophetic now.
“God’s timing might be sooner than you think,” Daniels said. “Be ready.”
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