Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels officially became a very rich man on June 4, when he signed a fully-guaranteed, 4-year, $37.7 million contract that included a $24.3 million signing bonus.
If Daniels can deliver on his potential and turn the Washington Commanders into contenders after they selected him No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, that money could one day seem like a pittance.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, signed a 5-year, $275 million contract extension with $200 million guaranteed on June 4.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Daniels is the highest draft pick from 2024 to sign his contract so far. The Commanders also confirmed the signing with a post on the team’s official X account.
“The #Commanders and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels have agreed to terms on his rookie contract and Daniels has signed, per @Agentbutler1,” Rapoport wrote on X. “He gets a slotted 4-year, $37.75M fully guaranteed deal that includes a $24.3M signing bonus. The highest draft pick to sign.”
The Commanders have a fifth-year option on Daniels’ contract for 2028, but they won’t have to make a decision on it until after the 2026 season.
Daniels Has Elite Dual-Threat Potential in NFL
Daniels played the first three seasons of his college career at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for his final two seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after he threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions to go with 1,134 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Over the course of his college career, Daniels started an incredible 55 games and set the NCAA single-season record with a 208.0 passer rating in 2023. He’s also the only player in FBS history with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
“With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He’s tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college.”
Daniels Still Not Officially QB1 for Commanders
While Daniels hasn’t been officially named the starting quarterback but has been winning over teammates and coaches in the offseason and remaining humble as he tries to become QB1 for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005.
“I ain’t a star quarterback yet,” Daniels told ESPN’s John Keim. “I got long way to go. I’m a rookie.”
According to Keim’s story, Daniels is at the team facility every morning by 5:45 a.m. to watch film and do walk-throughs in the practice bubble with rookie wide receiver and third-round pick Luke McCaffrey.
“From the time Daniels arrived in Washington, he has preached the same message: He just wants to do his job and is not elevating himself to any status other than rookie,” Keim wrote.
The Commanders also signed veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to a 1-year, $6 million contract in March 2024, giving Washington two Heisman Trophy winners on the same roster.
Mariota was also an elite dual-threat quarterback in college and was the No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL draft.
