A franchise quarterback has the ability and gravity to change a team's fortunes overnight. The Washington Commanders found this out after Jayden Daniels fell into their laps in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Commanders took Daniels, a Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU, with the No. 2 pick on April 25, 2024.
Nine months later, Daniels led the Commanders out at Lincoln Financial Field for an NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Daniels claimed 49 of a possible 50 first-place votes for AP Rookie of the Year, and he was named to the Pro Bowl after leading Washington to 12 wins, its most in a season since 1991. Daniels was responsible for 31 total touchdowns and 4,459 total yards – and entering 2025, Daniels has the fifth-best odds to win NFL MVP.
But former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms is more than a little skeptical of the Daniels hype. He told Kay Adams on Monday that while Daniels won't endure a sophomore slump in 2025, he is not yet on the level of the signal-callers with higher MVP odds.
That's because Daniels' competition includes Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson and the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes – players who have combined for five MVP awards in the past seven seasons.
"These are some guys, even if the team is not good, they're still capable of having outstanding seasons statistically," Simms, a former New York Giant, explained.
More and more, the Commanders are being discussed as a trendy Super Bowl pick for 2025. Given Daniels' rapid rise as a rookie, his presence in the MVP conversation is not far-fetched at all.
But it may take Washington's best season for Daniels to overcome the AFC's elite QBs in the hunt for pro football's most coveted individual award.
