Jayden Daniels earns ‘Best NFC East QB’ take from ex-Cowboys linemen

The Washington Commanders come into the 2025 NFL season with massive expectations. The reason for those expectations relies mainly on Jayden Daniels under center. Daniels burst onto the scene last season and carried Washington to the NFC Championship, while also winning Rookie of the Year. After an incredible rookie season, some analysts say he’s already the best quarterback in the NFC East.

ESPN NFL Analyst Marcus Spears explicitly said that he expects Jayden Daniels to be the best quarterback in the NFC East. As he continues to grow and progress, those massive expectations are not out of the realm of possibility.

Spears said, “I expect him to be the best quarterback in the NFC East. I know Dak Prescott is here in Dallas and has a longer tenure, but we see what Jayden Daniels can do off script, which adds to much of his ability.”

He added, “Jayden Daniels was dominant from the pocket, extending plays, and throwing the ball downfield, which should give a lot of people in Washington, D.C., confidence in his potential growth next year.”

The Commanders come into the 2025 season as the biggest challenger to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles look like a juggernaut after winning the most recent Super Bowl. Still, the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys enter this season as massive wildcards, making the Commanders the biggest challenger after the year they had last season.

Daniels fit like a glove with the offense the Commanders ran last season under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, which led to him being talked about as a head coaching candidate. He had 3,568 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions on a 69% completion percentage. He entered the league with massive expectations and completely lived up to them.

The Commanders had issues with their defense as a team because Daniels had to be a superhero. It worked out because he did that exceptionally well, but the goal is to take as much pressure off him as possible.

They added some help on the defense and a few weapons outside to help Daniels, but they also fortified the offensive line because the goal is to keep him upright as much as possible.

The Washington Commanders are Jayden Daniels’ team, and the stage is set for him to get even better as a quarterback. Spears’ claim seems like a hot take now, but it might not seem as far-fetched as he grows.