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Christmas Day Brings Another Record for Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders got quite the gift when selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels, and becuase of it he's now won his 10th NFL Rookie of the Week Award.

David Harrison

Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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We don't know what Jayden Daniels wanted for Christmas, but we know the Washington Commanders quarterback got his 10th Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week belt of the year, setting a new record for first-year dominance that was previously held by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Winning the award for the 10th time in 15 games has most analysts predicting that the Commanders' rookie will win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the second quarterback in as many years to win it after C.J. Stroud won the award with the Houston Texans last season.

If he does, Daniels will also become the second quarterback in franchise history to win the award, following Robert Griffin III, who won it with Washington in 2012, and he'd be the third in team history after running back Mike Thomas won the organization's first in 1975.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Still, despite all the accolades and praise being heaped onto Daniels' shoulders, he remains the humble and poised quarterback general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn thought they were drafting back in April.

The same young quarterback who has become a clear leader on the Commanders' roster.

"He did it by his work first. And then after that, I think the moments in the game the guys just came to lean on him, trust in him knowing that he does what he says he is going to do," Quinn says about the way Daniels has established himself as a leader. "Not to say that every game is perfect, but they have a lot of belief in him. And I think belief's a really powerful thing because there's that bridge that goes from the gap that says, wanting to win to knowing you're going to win, and that's powerful. I think Jayden helped (build) that bridge where you're hopeful you want to, to we're going to."

Daniels' impressive rookie resume can get another bullet point in the achievement section by winning over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football this weekend, clinching Washington its first playoff appearance since the 2020 NFL season.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

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• Commanders' Jayden Daniels 'Became A Heavy Hitter' In Comeback Win Over Eagles

• Commanders WR Jamison Crowder Shines for Second Straight Week Off IR

• Commanders Stun Eagles with Practice-Perfect Game-Winner

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David Harrison
DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.

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