The Washington Commanders know how special their franchise quarterback is. The work that Jayden Daniels did in his first season is one of the most remarkable in league history.
Despite just entering his sophomore campaign, Daniels has won two playoff games and reached the NFC Championship Game. Some veterans like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't even reached that mark for his career.
As Daniels prepares for his sophomore season, grading him compared to other quarterbacks in the league is something of a challenge. How do you judge a quarterback who has only played for a year over a signal-caller who has had a strong body of work, but may have struggled in 2024?
Pro Football Focus doesn't care. They ranked Daniels as the sixth best quarterback in the league - spots above Matthew Stafford and Prescott, but below Jalen Hurts.
"Perhaps we’re crowning Daniels a bit too early, as plenty of quarterbacks have had standout rookie seasons only to regress in Year 2," PFF Wrote. "But what separates Daniels is his poise under pressure and in clutch moments late in the year. His rookie campaign was arguably the best we’ve ever seen, with his 90.6 overall grade marking the highest ever recorded by PFF for a rookie quarterback."
It's hard to argue with his standing after a historic season, despite his blowout loss in the title game. That showed room for growth and excellence that Daniels has yet to hit yet.
If his rookie season was any indication, though, it's clear that Daniels is just getting started at this point.