Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels have some similarities, says the architect of the Greatest Show on Turf.
There were two rookie quarterbacks alive at the start of Wild Card Weekend. Now, there is only one. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels pulled the upset of the weekend, sending Baker Mayfield and his Buccaneers packing.
Daniels was written off as a rookie but managed to win the biggest game of his life, breaking NFL records by doing so. As Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempt to unpack what went wrong, analysts and former quarterbacks are thinking about what went right. They might start by wondering how a top-ten quarterback for passing yards scored just 20 points.
Kurt Warner comparing Jayden Daniels
Taking to Twitter/X on January 13, former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Kurt Warner compared what Daniels was doing just like Patrick Mahomes.
“I know Jayden Daniels has been great in the moment, same thing we have said about Patrick Mahomes, but what ppl miss is that they are good in the moment bc they are GOOD all the time with the little things!!!!” he posted.
He went on: “Watching Jayden yesterday – always has a plan, makes the right play when things aren’t there, has good tech & understanding of timing, understands he needs an answer vs pressure…
“The great ones do the routine things right so they find themselves in those moments often & then they handle the moments well bc their NORMAL sustains them at all times!! QBs out there – really think about what I’m saying!!!”
In other words, Daniels had built good habits early in his career so when the moment became big, his style of play never changed. Put simply, habits are powerful.
Jayden Daniels is ahead of Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is the active standard in the NFL, there’s no denying that. However, looking at where both quarterbacks were at the end of their rookie seasons, Daniels is much further along than where Mahomes was.
Of course, Mahomes had the unfortunate reality of waiting behind Alex Smith for a season. However, by the end of Mahomes’ rookie season, he had logged one win. Daniels has as many playoff wins. As such, after a 12-win year, Daniels is head and shoulders above where Mahomes was after his first year.
Things could change going forward, but Daniels currently has a leg up on the Chiefs quarterback.
