Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels put the entire NFL on notice in 2024. As the second overall draft pick in 2024, it was still thought he would need some development before he could make a true impact. But GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn knew better. They knew that at LSU, Daniels did what was asked of him, so when he came to Washington, they asked him to do different things. And the result was a Cinderella season that ended with the Commanders’ first NFC Championship appearance in 30 years.
Daniels didn’t do it alone, but he sure did set a lot of records along the way to earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In his second season, many analysts and insiders believe that Daniels will suffer a slump in 2025. ESPN’s Dan Graziano has a different question for Daniels, though.
Will we be talking about Jayden Daniels in the MVP race this season?
The second pick of the 2024 draft, Daniels was a revelation as a rookie, leading the Commanders all the way to the NFC Championship Game. Washington added Laremy Tunsil at left tackle and Deebo Samuel Sr. at wide receiver. It kept the coaching staff together. And it now enters Daniels’ second season with high hopes to go even further. (Not that there’s much further it could go!) Will the league figure out Daniels in Year 2, or will he build on his historic rookie season and establish himself as one of the NFL’s elites right away?
This isn’t the first time Daniels has been mentioned in early 2025 MVP talks, although most of the talk surrounding him has been about a potential slump. Comparisons to C.J. Stroud’s second year have come up the most, but Daniels is not Stroud. He has a different offensive line, different offensive weapons, and a better offensive coaching staff at his disposal.
Will Daniels be in the MVP race this year? He’s going to have to have an elite performance for that to happen. He will be competing with the likes of Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley, and others for the honor of earning the MVP title. That won’t be an easy feat, and it’s not something he should strive for. What Daniels needs to focus on in 2025 is continuing improvement and winning games. As long as he’s doing that, the accolades will follow.