Every young quarterback goes through a bit of a rough patch during their first season.
Even for a special signal-caller like Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, that slump came during the midway point of the 2024 season. Riding high after a 7-2 start, Daniels and the Commanders took some tough injury hits across the board.
They ended up losing three in a row to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys shortly after.
While Washington was able to win their final five games, the losing streak was a good reminder to Daniels about how quickly things can change in the NFL over the course of a single season.
And it's something he addressed within himself as well.
"Early on, I knew I had some success, but I think where I felt myself giving better was that rough stretch where we lost three in a row," Daniels said to Jon Gruden in a recent appearance on the Jon Gruden Barstool YouTube channel. "Adversity is going to tell you a lot of who you are as a man. So when we lost three in a row, (we) almost didn't win for a month, it sucks. So it's like after that we got back to our winning ways, and I could just feel myself getting better each and every week.
"And you peak at the right time. We peaked at the right time, right before the playoffs. We were coming together as a team, and like I said, hardships are going to make you, or it is going to break you."
Washington sure peaked at the right time. Their winning streak had them reaching the NFC Title game for the first time in over three decades.
That slump was a good chance for Daniels and the offense to reset. It's a learning experience the team is still taking to heart as they look to build off of last year's 12-win season.
With Daniels leading the way.
