Washington Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels has had a remarkable first season in the NFL. His efforts helped turn around a team that finished 4-13 in 2023, leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record and sixth seed in the NFC. Daniels is a shoo-in for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But how does his debut campaign compare to one of the all-time greats?
Well, Peyton Manning, the two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time league MVP, Hall of Famer and living legend, had to give Daniels his flowers. Particularly when comparing Daniels’ rookie season to his own with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Washington was very adamant about drafting Jayden Daniels… They got him and you can just tell Jayden and (offensive coordinator) Kliff (Kingsbury) hit the ground running. I think the system just fit Jayden and you could tell he picked it up fast,” Manning said of Daniels via ESPN’s Kevin Clark on X.
“I remember in my rookie year, I was just praying that the first read was going to be open because I wasn’t sure where the second and third reads were. And that’s a bad feeling as a quarterback. You can tell Jayden, he’s got it. He knows it… He is fun to watch. He’s just as calm and collected in the fourth quarter as he is in pregame warmups. And that’s a great quality for a quarterback, especially a rookie,” Manning added.
Daniels has been nothing short of sensational in his first year in the NFL. He’s been so good in fact that some believe he put together the best rookie QB season in history.
Peyton Manning is in awe of Commanders’ rookie QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels completed 69 percent of his passes with the Commanders, racking up 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Compare those numbers to Manning’s first year in the pros. In one fewer game, Peyton completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
However, that doesn’t tell the entire story. As great a passer as Manning turned out to be, he was never much help on the ground. Daniels, on the other hand, rushed for 891 yards and six additional scores this season. That broke Robert Griffin III’s rookie QB rushing record set in 2012.
Daniels also became just the fourth rookie passer selected to the Pro Bowl, something else Manning failed to do in his first season. And while Manning would lead his Colts to a 13-3 record in his second year, reaching the playoffs for the first time, he only produced a 3-13 record in his rookie season.
None of this is to say that Daniels will be a better player than the great Peyton Manning when all is said and done. After all, early success is not necessarily indicative of future success. But Daniels clinched a postseason berth as a rookie and is set to lead the Commanders in a road playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening. It’s yet another opportunity to continue building the legend of the supremely talented young quarterback.
