Jayden Daniels Makes Grand Arrival With Monday Night Football Star Turn

With his virtuoso performance in an upset win over the Bengals in prime time, Daniels showed talent that the Commanders haven't had in quite some time.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

When was the last time the Washington Commanders were exciting?

In the headlines, yes. Controversial? Always. But exciting? Not since the Bush Administration. Bush Senior, that is. 

Washington has been a speed bump for good teams and little else since winning Super Bowl XXVI in January 1992, but that might be changing if Monday night was any indication.

Against an 0–2 Cincinnati Bengals team on Monday Night Football, Daniels gave one of the best performances in the storied history of the 55-year program. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft and reigning Heisman Trophy winner from LSU completed 21-of-23 passes for 254 yards on 11.0 yards per attempt. He also accounted for three touchdowns, including one on the ground. Daniels led Washington in rushing with 39 yards, leading the Commanders to a 38–33 upset of Joe Burrow and the Bengals. 

At 2–1, Washington is far from a juggernaut. In Week 2, it needed seven field goals and an injured opposing kicker to beat the New York Giants. In Week 1, the Commanders were blown out by a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that got smacked around by the previously winless Denver Broncos on Sunday. 

But, finally, there’s hope in Daniels. 

Going into last spring’s draft, there were real questions about who should go No. 2. For most of the lead-up to the first round, many pundits thought North Carolina’s Drake Maye was the correct choice, with collegiate experts largely assuming USC’s Caleb Williams and Maye as the top two picks, respectively. 

Instead, new Commanders general manager Adam Peters zagged from conventional wisdom. He selected Daniels after he threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns against four interceptions, while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 more scores. 

Daniels, who was seen by some as a quarterback who struggled to keep his eyes downfield once on the move, did so consistently against the Bengals. He kept plays alive with his legs, and on Washington’s final march, faced an all-out blitz on third down from Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and heaved a picture-perfect bomb to Terry McLaurin for the game-clinching 27-yard touchdown. 

It was the kind of throw which gives coaches confidence if it happens in practice. When it happens on a Sunday, it’s a moment. When it happens in primetime, it’s the launching of a career. 

Of course, there’s a long way to go. Ask Robert Griffin III, who once was a rookie phenom for Washington before injuries derailed his career. Things can go wrong even though it appears all is finally about to go right.

But for the Commanders, it does seem the proverbial stars are finally starting to align. 

Daniels has five total touchdowns and zero turnovers through his first three starts. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Washington has a quarterback who is the most talented signal-caller at least since Griffin, and perhaps dating back to Joe Theismann in the 1980s, when he won a Super Bowl and an MVP. The Commanders also have a new owner in Josh Harris, who bought the team from a besieged Dan Snyder and has seemingly put adults in charge from Peters to coach Dan Quinn. 

And then there’s the veterans added to the roster this offseason, players with championship experience who can fortify the locker room and lead Daniels through the inevitable dark moments.

There’s guard Nick Allegretti, who got a three-year contract to leave the Kansas City Chiefs after winning three Super Bowls in five seasons. There’s Bobby Wagner, a 13-year veteran and future first-ballot Hall of Fame linebacker who came to play for his old defensive coordinator in Quinn on a one-year deal. There’s Zach Ertz, who caught five passes for 38 yards on Monday night, providing knowledge and a security blanket on game days. 

However, none of it matters if Daniels doesn’t become a star. The NFL is more reliant on quarterbacks than ever. A good defense and a competent supporting cast means a borderline playoff team if the quarterback is just another guy.

Through three games, Daniels looks like anything but. He’s completed 61-of-76 attempts (80.3% completion rate) for 664 yards while adding another 171 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Most importantly, he has zero turnovers. 

It’s one thing when a rookie makes splashy plays while simultaneously costing his team with major errors. It’s another when he’s taking care of the ball but not creating chunk yardage. 

When he’s doing both like Daniels is, that’s stardom in the making.  

In the making. Those three words have been applicable to Washington for more than 30 years. 

With Daniels, Commanders fans may finally be able to start saying another three words.

Here we come.