Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels turned heads early in the season with how he played. It wasn’t just his performance on the field, though, it was his ability to rally the rest of the team – defense included – to be on the same page and act as one cohesive unit. He has shouldered the weight of the offensive production all season long and has done it with grace and poise typically not seen in such a young player.
Daniels has set records all season long and his antics are continuing in the postseason. He is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with two or more passing touchdowns in multiple playoff games, and he set a Commanders record, too:
.@JayD__5 is the first rookie QB in @NFL history with 2+ passing TDs in multiple playoff games! 🤯
He joins @ProFootballHOF-er Joe Theismann as the only @Commanders QBs with 2+ TDs and 0 INTs in multiple playoff games. Daniels is the only one to do it in the same year. pic.twitter.com/xKvLWARzKi
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) January 21, 2025
Being mentioned in the same breath as Joe Theismann is high praise indeed.
Daniels is, by far, the odds-on favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. And he’s not done yet. He will play again this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, and if the same Commanders team that put up 45 points on the Lions shows up again, the Eagles are in trouble no matter what Saquon Barkley does.
