Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels orchestrated one of the best rookie campaigns in NFL history last season. Daniels led the team from the depths of their division all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Already, Daniels is generating the buzz of a top 10 quarterback and some are ready to anoint him among the league's best. It's a short sample size certainly but it is difficult to argue with the results he put out in year one.
However, many great players that have come before him have felt the same highs before a slide in their second season. Dak Prescott and Saquon Barkley, both faces of Washington's most staunch NFC East rivals, can share their own experiences with regression, or "sophomore slump."
Daniels wants to avoid that entirely and is taking the steps to ensure that he not only continues his success from year one, but builds upon it to become a better player.
"I'm sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible," he explained to Yahoo Sports. "Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed."
While this signals a major positive for Daniels and his mindset, there are some aspects of the upcoming season that are simply out of his control. Teams will prepare for him differently in 2025 after all the headaches he caused in 2024.
Luckily for Daniels, his team understands this dynamic as well and has upgraded across the board to ensure their quarterback has every piece he needs.
They first added a weapon to the offensive artillery after trading for Deebo Samuel and have also fortified the offensive line by trading for Laremy Tunsil. Daniels is not the only one in the building interested in keeping opponents on their toes; his front office and coaching staff are clearly in his corner.
Nonetheless, the storyline around Daniels heading into the season will center on the sophomore slump and how he plans to combat it. Right now, he is taking all measures possible to diffuse that conversation entirely.
