No rookie quarterback has played in the Super Bowl after Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. While it was a lopsided victory for the home team, there’s no shame in Washington’s loss.
For starters, the Commanders were supposed to be in rebuild mode during the second year of the Josh Harris-led ownership group. In addition to having a new head coach in Dan Quinn, Washington was unsure if Daniels would live up to lofty expectations.
However, the former LSU quarterback exceeded those standards by delivering arguably the best season by a rookie quarterback. Daniels finished the regular season with a 69 percent completion rate (331 of 480) for 3,658 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, plus 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Fantastic rookie season, @JayD__5 pic.twitter.com/iTB6kFehUD
— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2025
Those numbers helped the Commanders clinch a playoff berth with a 12-5 record, an eight-win turnaround from their 4-13 record in 2023. Likewise, Daniels earned the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award 11 times, strengthening his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In addition to clinching a playoff berth, Daniels won two playoff road games, starting with their Wild Card Round victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A week later, they dominated the top-seed Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
The future is bright for the Commanders for they have found their franchise quarterback in Daniels. What’s great for them moving forward is that the Commanders can use some of their $87 million cap space to strengthen their roster around him.
-Lance Fernandez