It is a new year for Washington Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels, and what happened last season is well and truly in the rearview mirror.
Yes, the 12-5 record and NFC Championship appearance were nice, but that means little right now and won't help the franchise in 2025.
With Dan Quinn, Daniels, and a group of veterans, including Bobby Wagner, Marcus Mariota, and Zach Ertz, helping establish and maintain the culture that will be the driving force behind Washington's success, naturally, expectations are high entering 2025.
But for Daniels, he is well aware that he and the franchise are starting from scratch as offseason workouts begin.
“I think it's a standard set,” Daniels said. “You got the core guys that set the standard, and we got those guys back. So we're bringing in new people and we're holding them to that standard, but we know everything is not going to be given to us, we got to go out there and earn it each and every day.”
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels
© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Jayden being self-aware is nothing new, and yes, last season was superb by any metric you want to use. Now, everyone is on a level playing field until the season kicks off.
After so much heavy lifting was done last season to get the Commanders out of the NFL doldrums and into relevancy, the franchise won't want all of that work to go to waste by cutting corners and not being as focused.
However, it is clear that Daniels and his teammates recognize that the standards they set last season equated to Super Bowl-level success, and if they want the same results, the standards must be maintained.
And Jayden is making sure it is.