Jayden Daniels Unphased By New England Patriots' Post-Tom Brady Spotlight

Jayden Daniels' college experience has made him immune to a unique pressure that would follow his potential New England Patriots career.

Dec 9, 2023; New York, New York, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels speaks to the media / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Like the 300 Spartans before him, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has no problem fighting in the shade.

Providing the shadow is the legacy of Tom Brady, which is set to haunt the chosen heir to his throne under New England Patriots center. With the glory days undoubtedly over, Brady left behind the toughest act to follow in NFL history in Foxborough, which endured one of the ugliest offensive seasons in recent football memory after Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe were forced to share passing duties in 2023.

Daniels, however, reminded observers of LSU's pro day that his skills of succession in the bayou should serve him well in the borough.

“I played in Death Valley after Joe Burrow. I feel like I’m ready for anything," Daniels declared, per Christopher Price of the Boston Globe. "I’m a game-changer at the quarterback position. That’s what I can bring to that franchise.”

Quarterback Jayden Daniels 5 as the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in Baton / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

The similarities between the Patriots and Tigers are bizarrely similar: won a championship toward the end of the prior decade but fell upon hard time after hoisting their respective trophies. It eventually led to the ousting of the champion coach, with Ed Orgeron booted from the Bayou and Bill Belichick bounced from Foxborough.

Daniels was the eventual solution after coming over from Arizona State, helping push the Tigers back into national relevance. His efforts eventually yielded a 2023 season that saw him tally 4,946 yards through both the air and ground, which also produced 50 total touchdowns. Daniels' post-Burrow efforts were rewarded with the most recent Heisman Trophy, which put him on the radar of early choosers at the upcoming NFL Draft.

New England is currently placed in the third slot and all indications hint at them using that pick on Brady's next successor. Daniels is ready to show he learned as heir to Burrow no matter which team ends up requesting his services.

“Who’s going to invest in me? Who’s going to believe in me?” Daniels rhetorically asked, per Chad Finn of the Globe. “Kind of like what LSU did, on and off the field. As a man. And a player. They probably already did their homework. They know who I am as a person and who I am as a player. Who’s going to believe in me as a man? As a quarterback? On and off the field.”

“I feel like I’ll be ready. There’s a learning curve for everything. I’m just ready to hear my name called. Just go in there ready to learn. It’ll be a blessing, wherever I go.”

The 2024 NFL Draft opens on April 25 in Detroit.