After going 4-13 in 2023, the Commanders had the #2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. They selected QB Jayden Daniels out of LSU. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 with the Tigers.
In his first season with Washington, Daniels went 12-5. He helped the Commanders make a run to the NFC championship game vs. the Eagles. On Thursday night at the NFL honors ceremony, Daniels was announced as the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Jayden Daniels had a spectacular rookie season for the Commanders
Jayden Daniels takes home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors‼️ pic.twitter.com/W3kfA7Gd3d
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 7, 2025
Nobody could have predicted how quickly Jayden Daniels turned the Commanders around. We’ve seen other Heisman Trophy-winning QBs come into the league and struggle. That was not the case for Daniels in 2024. In 17 starts, he went 12-5. Daniels had 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Additionally, he had 148 carries for 891 yards and six rushing touchdowns. That’s over 4.400 yards of total offense and 31 touchdowns.
Daniels was an experienced QB coming out of the draft and it benefited him in his rookie season. On top of that, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury made the transition smooth. The Commanders ran an offensive system in 2024 similar to what he used at LSU. This gave Daniels a massive advantage in his rookie year. Kingsbury had experience working with another Heisman Trophy-winning QB with the Cardinals and Kyler Murray.
A 12-5 record during the 2024 regular season was the best Washington had seen since 1991. The team had not won a playoff game since 2005 but Jayden Daniels changed that. He won two playoff games in 2024 and made a run to the NFC championship game. If the Commanders can get more weapons on offense, they will be in business. Jayden Daniels is the franchise QB the team has been waiting for. Washington needs to add pieces now while Daniels is still on his rookie deal.
