The NFL has a problem that the Washington Commanders may be on the verge of helping solve.
In a league that prides itself on having the most parity of all the professional sports leagues, this one has seen the New England Patriots dominate for two decades just for the Kansas City Chiefs to carry on that tradition for the last half decade since quarterback Tom Brady effectively ended that run. Meanwhile, franchises like the Commanders–and their frustrated fanbase–have had to watch year after year while one of two teams usually ended up atop the mountain, if not at least to the final base camp.
Mahomes was once touted as the contender to Brady's throne, but in their last postseason matchup, it was the same old song as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers toppled the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. While the NFL looks for a true rival to bring parity back to a league that has truly become 'Chiefs Kingdom', the young gun in Washington may be the answer.
Of course, in order to beat Mahomes, he'll have to first be able to do what the Kansas City legend has done for his own franchise. ESPN's Louis Riddick sees a future of quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Commanders where at least that part comes to fruition.
“Jayden's gonna have the same effect on Washington that Patrick is having on Kansas City," Riddick said on 106.7 FM's Grant & Danny program. “He's gonna have that same thing. Josh Harris is gonna sit there and go, 'How much money do you want? Just make sure you leave a little bit so we can pay everyone else, but what do you want?' He's gonna be that kind of guy. ...Tom Brady has said you don't always have to be the very best to be someone who's extremely successful, you just have to be willing to do what most people aren't, which is be consistent, and Jayden has been consistent throughout his career.”
It has only been one season, but Daniels is receiving some hard-earned praise after leading Washington to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season.
Other quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills have been able to make their teams regular competitors to Mahomes' throne, but have failed to do so.
Even when Joe Burrow got the Cincinnati Bengals past Mahomes' crew they lost in the Super Bowl, and haven't been able to replicate that success since.
In the past 10 years, only one AFC team has won a Super Bowl that wasn't led by either Brady or Mahomes. With Brady's win with the NFC's Buccaneers, the duo has won seven of those.
Jalen Hurts will look to be the latest NFC quarterback to get the best of Mahomes and the Chiefs, and if the AFC can't do it perhaps the solution to combating the currently dominant franchise is to have the other conference band together and do it from the other side.
Daniels and the Commanders looked poised to be part of that solution this season, and if Riddick is right, they'll be looking to step back up to the plate again in San Francisco this time next year.
