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Dan Orlvosky: Jayden Daniels Could Be the MVP

Midway through his rookie year, the Washington Commanders quarterback is getting some serious praise.

Kyle Koster

Daniels has come out of the gate hot, leading Washington to a 6-2 record.
Daniels has come out of the gate hot, leading Washington to a 6-2 record. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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Despite needing a miraculous deflection and 60-plus minutes of gameplay to find the end zone, Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is once again a hero. His Hail Mary, which conjured up memories of Kordell Stewart in terms of sheer arm strength, bounded into the waiting arms of Noah Brown as the plucky Commanders stunned the Chicago Bears and moved to 6-2 on the season.

Daniels finished with 326 yards through the air, added another 52 on the ground and took immaculate care of the football. Pretty impressive for someone who's playing status was in jeopardy in the hours before kickoff after suffering a rib injury. Outdueling Caleb Williams, who went one pick before him in the 2024 NFL draft, was another feather in Daniels' cap. And it's really beginning to feel like the sky is the limit and Washington can win right now with a player who has changed everything.

Speaking on Unsportsmanlike Radio this morning, Dan Orlvosky gave permission to put Daniels in "the MVP conversation."

"It's crazy to watch one person change the whole place," Orlovsky said. "The belief, the confidence. I'd also say this: the offense in Washington, I think outside of Detroit, is the second-hardest offense in that conference to handle."

It's always a bit tough to say what "in the conversation" means or if it means anything at all. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes would probably need to be mentioned before Daniels in any conversation about topic. Perhaps mentioning Daniels' candidacy in the same breath as CJ Stroud and Kyler Murray would be fair.

That's not a knock, though. What Daniels has done has been spectacular. Halfway through his first season and he's being mentioned as an MVP choice. Hard to get off to a better start than that.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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