Jayden Daniels was walking around midfield when the celebrations ratcheted up a notch. Coolers were lifted into the air and the Gatorade showers began in New Orleans.
It was a tantalizing taste of what could have been for the young quarterback. Only a day later, barely a mile up the road, the Philadelphia Eagles dunked Nick Sirianni and toasted one of the finest Super Bowl wins of recent times.
Daniels, on the other hand, was confined to the sidelines of the nearby convention center where, on Saturday night of Super Bowl week, he watched some of the world’s biggest streamers do battle in flag football.
It served as a fun appetizer. But also a stark illustration of how close and yet how far the rookie had come from reaching the biggest game of all.
During an astonishing first season in the NFL, Daniels helped coach Dan Quinn transform the Washington Commanders. The California native began the year as the No 2 draft pick out of LSU. He ended it as Rookie of the Year and the most exciting prospect in the NFL.
In 2023, Washington had finished bottom of the NFC East. Their record was a dismal 4-13. They had not won in the postseason since 2005 – a barren run stretching nearly 7,000 days.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels helped transform the Washington Commanders’ fortunes
Under Daniels and new head coach Dan Quinn, Washington reached the NFC Championship
The quarterback, the No 2 overall draft pick, enjoyed an astonishing first season in the NFL
Only a year on – with new owners, a new coach, a new quarterback and a new general manager – the Commanders reached the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years.
‘It was nothing but a blessing,’ Daniels, who finished seventh in NFL MVP voting, told Mail Sport. The highlight? ‘Winning our first playoff game,’ the quarterback said.
The Commanders beat the Buccaneers in Tampa after Daniels orchestrated a nerveless final drive in the dying minutes.
Washington built on that win with a stunning victory over the No 1 seed Detroit Lions at Ford Field. It wasn’t until they reached Philadelphia that Daniels and Co hit a road block.
On a chastening afternoon, the Commanders were beaten 55-23 by the Eagles. ‘Things didn’t go our way,’ Daniels said. ‘But we have to move on and learn from it.’
So much has already changed and so many building blocks are already in place. Forty-eight hours before enjoying flag football, Daniels took center stage at the NFL Honors.
‘Where do I start? Crazy, crazy,’ he said after collecting the offensive rookie of the year award. Daniels thanked God and his mom and his family.
And then he thanked the Commanders, and Washington’s new owner Josh Harris, ‘for changing my life.’
The quarterback was named offensive rookie of the year at the recent NFL Honors
No quarterback came close to being as effective with their legs as Daniels in the 2024 season
The 24-year-old is pictured with his mother Regina Jackson at the ceremony in New Orleans
Inside the Commanders locker room, however, they are grateful to Daniels – and to Quinn – for how they have altered the trajectory of a franchise. ‘To see what we were able to accomplish this season has been mind blowing,’ defensive end Efe Obada said.
The first signs came all the way back May last year. ‘I’ve been a part of changes of head coaches and regime before… usually it takes about a year, two years, maybe three for everyone to feel and understand and buy in,’ Obada said.
This time? ‘In OTAs, I just felt something different.’
It was there in the level of investment made by the Harris group, following their record $6.05billion deal to buy the team from Dan Snyder in July 2023.
More equipment in the training room. And more options in the canteen. ‘Before everything was just plated up,’ Obada said. Players were told what to eat. Now surveys go round asking what they actually want.
‘They’re open to receiving criticism and recommendations,’ Obada said. So players requested barbeque and jollof rice. ‘They had pancakes and waffles on rotation. I asked: “Have you guys heard of a crepe?”‘ Soon they were on the menu, too.
Nutritionists prepared specific protein shakes for skinny guys and bulkier guys. Every player had a weekly weigh-in. And sweat tests. And to-do lists. ‘This is what I want to work on, this I what I want to improve on,’ Obada explained. ‘Then we’d do weekly or bi-weekly, checks on where you are.’
Quinn, the former Falcons head coach who replaced Ron Rivera last February, would pull out the good and the bad. ‘In front of everyone.’
His change of direction was obvious from OTAs, which typically revolve around schemes and conditioning, Obada said.
‘What we were able to accomplish this season has been mind blowing,’ Efe Obada said
The defensive end heaped praise on Quinn, calling the coach ‘amazing’ and a ‘true leader’
A;FK;JD;KJF;LAKEJFLKJVAL;KEJL;JF;EFJ;LFAKJJAYDEN DANIELS HAIL MARY! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
‘He came into the building and his emphasis was getting to know everyone… building that brotherhood, getting to know your fellow teammates and your coaches – not just on a surface level, on a deeper level.’
Among the questions people explored?
‘Why they do what they do, who their families are, who their kids are, what school they went to. What their high-school mascot was, what instruments they played,’ Obada said.
‘As silly as it sounded, once the season got going on, it just brought us so much closer together. And when we faced adversity, we understood: this is my brother, I’m not going to come down on him. I’m not going to talk bad about this person. Because I know why he might just had a bad game. I’m going to help. I’m going to uplift him. So that was the biggest difference.’
And then there was Daniels. ‘A quarterback that we could believe in and support and rally around,’ Obada said. ‘That’s something that he earned.’ That’s something the Commanders spent decades trying to find.
At the end of his first season, the former Heisman Trophy winner, 24, ranked fourth among 32 NFL quarterbacks. Higher than Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.
Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns. The former high school track star also rushed for 891 yards and six scores. His rushing yards, points per game (28.5) and completion percentage (69 per cent) were all NFL rookie records. No quarterback came close to being as effective with their legs and no one produced a more stunning moment than Daniels’ game-winning Hail Mary against the Bears.
That was ‘the real turning point’ for Obada. ‘Okay, this is happening,’ he thought. ‘The script is working in our favor.’
Obada already knew the 24-year-old was special. ‘In OTAs, he used to come to work very early and there were vets being paid ridiculous amounts of money that didn’t show that level of dedication – they would just be strolling in,’ Obada said.
It’s said Daniels would arrive at 5:45am for extra sessions. He sought out older players – on both sides of the ball – to pick their brains.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was another standout performer for the Commanders in 2024
‘We’ve arrived, and that changes expectations,’ Commanders owner Josh Harris said recently
‘He could rest on his laurels: “I’m a rookie. I need time to develop and figure this out.” No, he came in early,’ Obada. ‘He was in the meeting rooms early. He was working on his craft – in the training room, weight room, outside on the field with certain receivers.’
Obada added: ‘He’s a kid… a normal, humble, down to earth guy. He cracks jokes, he’s funny at times – when he’s not talking about you. Just a kid living his dreams… he’s just a star.’
Now the challenge for Quinn and Daniels and new general manager Adam Peters? Go one better next year.
‘We’ve arrived, and that changes expectations,’ Harris said last month.
‘We’re nowhere near where our ceiling’s going to be and that fires me up,’ Quinn added.
The Commanders were the last team to beat the Eagles – back in December. They now have the foundations and, crucially, around $70million of cap space. The third-highest figure in the NFL.
‘This is the window,’ Obada said. ‘You got a lot of money. You’ve got a quarterback that’s elite. Where are the holes? Where do we need players that we feel that can elevate what we did last year? Now is the time.’
