Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is not held to the same standard as some other young quarterbacks in the NFL. Some people seem to forget how Daniels carried the Commanders to their best season in 33 years during his 2024 rookie season. That elite play continued in the playoffs, too, until his teammates let him down.
Then, last season happened. Daniels had a season to forget, dealing with three separate injuries and missing 10 games. When he did play, he barely had his star receiver, Terry McLaurin, as the duo only appeared in three games together, and only once for an entire game.
Meanwhile, Daniels’ 2024 classmates, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, had big second seasons, especially Maye, helping lead the New England Patriots to
the Super Bowl. Despite the Patriots reaching the Super Bowl, Maye did not play well. Outside of some splash plays in the postseason, Williams wasn’t overly impressive either. Yet, entering Year 3 for the top-three quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft, all everyone wants to talk about is Williams and Maye.
How soon did they forget?
All offseason, fans of other teams and national analysts have shown little respect for Daniels.
For most normal people, it would get under their skin. Daniels isn’t overly concerned with the criticism.
“I think everybody has an opinion, no matter whether it’s good or bad,” Daniels said. “It’s nothing I can really control, to the point everybody’s gonna say something. I just gotta - the only thing that matters to me is the people inside that building, you know, my family, and helping the Washington Commanders win football games to be the best version of myself.”
That’s the perfect answer. Washington doesn’t want Daniels to say that everyone is making a mistake by doubting him. That’s not how Daniels operates anyway. He’s quiet. He’s relentless. He knows what’s being said. Daniels watched the playoffs last season. He wasn’t rooting against Maye or Williams. He’s happy for their successes. But he does hear what others say. It fuels him.
Daniels then responded about what keeps him levelheaded after such a difficult year.
“I would just say my faith. My faith in Jesus Christ, man. I mean, without him, I wouldn’t be here at this point. So, you know, never get too high, never get too low, try to stay even-keeled. You know, like I said, they’re gonna talk about you regardless, good or bad.”
So, while everyone else is writing Daniels and the Commanders off on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, he’s quietly excited about putting his name back in the conversation among the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Jayden Daniels responds to criticism
