Donald Trump believes Jayden Daniels should be considered for NFL MVP amid his stunning rookie season with the Washington Commanders, it has been revealed.
Daniels has hit the ground running up in the big leagues after being selected by the Commanders with the second overall pick at the 2024 NFL Draft.
While setting a rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 864, the 24-year-old has helped Washington seal its first playoff berth since 2020 this season, with Sunday’s dramatic overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons getting them over the line.
Daniels finished that game with 24 completions on 36 attempts for 227 yards and three touchdowns, along with 16 carries for 127 rushing yards. It was the latest masterful display from the ex-LSU star, who has the eighth-most touchdown pᴀsses in the league with 25.
And according to DC mayor Muriel Bowser, Trump has put his name forward as a potential MVP winner this season.
After her meeting with the president-elect this week, Bowser told NBC Washington: ‘He was well aware of Jayden Daniels and why he should be the rookie of the year and possibly the MVP.’
Donald Trump believes Jayden Daniels should be considered for NFL MVP this season
Daniels has guided Washington to a first playoff berth since 2020 in a stunning rookie year
Read More Controversial Chiefs star Harrison Butker praises Donald Trump’s pick for ambᴀssador
Trump, who is a big football fan, attended a number of NFL and college games in 2024, including the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the New York Jets shortly before his landslide election win in November.
Yet while he has thrown his name in the hat, Daniels is not considered one of the leading candidates for the MVP award this season.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson are the current frontrunners to scoop the prize, while Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow is also in the equation.
Aside from quarterbacks, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is another potential contender to be crowned MVP after a sensational season.
Daniels and the Commanders conclude their regular-season schedule against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend before heading into the playoffs.
Trump was backed by a number of NFL players in the presidential election, including Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, while several players have performed his iconic dance as a celebration this season.
The president-elect also recently attended the 125th edition of the Army-Navy game, where he was joined by MAGA loyalists, including embattled Pentagon pick and Army veteran Pete Hegseth.
He was at the game with his running mate, Marine Corps veteran JD Vance, as well as Elon Musk, Senator-elect Dave McCormick, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and several others.
Trump, who attended an NFL game in Pittsburgh before last year’s election, is a big football fan
He has also attended several college fixtures, including last month’s 125th Army-Navy game
He could be seen in a private suite waving to adoring fans, many of whom represent the US Naval Academy at Annapolis or the US Military Academy at West Point on Saturday at the meeting between the two schools.
Trump, who attended Army-Navy games as president-elect in 2016 and as POTUS 2019, has been making an increasing number of public appearances before his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
He was accompanied by his family and Vance on Thursday as he rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized as Time magazine’s person of the year.
He’s also made a habit of attending college football games , such as the 2018 and 2020 College Football Playoff National Championships, as well as rivalry matchups between Georgia and Alabama, Iowa and Iowa State, and Clemson and South Carolina during the 2024 campaign.