Evne though Jayden Daniels had a historic 2024 campaign, the Washington Commanders is still the subject of criticism. It hasn’t made Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn too pleased.
Via JP Finlay on X (formerly Twitter), the coach explained rather simply his shot back at Daniels’s skeptics.
“If he wasn’t a dynamic runner, he’d still be an excellent quarterback.”
Daniels was second among NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards this past season. He only trailed Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Still, the rushing numbers shouldn’t take away from how elite the rookie quarterback was. For instance, Daniels made NFL history with the Commanders midway through the season.
He became the only rookie quarterback to have at least an 80% completion percentage in a single game with a minimum of 25 passing attempts.
That statistic alone is beyond impressive. For it to come from a rookie, that’s a generational type of number. Even so, the Commanders went to the NFC Championship game.
While they were squashed by the Philadelphia Eagles, it was a promising season. There are more ways for Daniels to improve as a player. Quinn sees that there is more to Daniels’s dynamic, other than running.
Commandes’ Jayden Daniels has Dan Quinn’s support
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Quinn has been adamant about his support for the rookie quarterback. After the Commanders selected him with the second overall pick, there was a high level of optimism.
However, the 12-5 record and Wild Card appearance was all many needed to know. Then, Washington defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then the NFC champions, Detroit Lions.
While it was an all-around performance, Daniels didn’t shy away from being confident. As he is ready to enter his sophomore season, many are hoping a sophomore slump doesn’t take place.
As Quinn mentioned though, there is more to his game than simply running the ball. His 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns were beyond impressive.
Not to mention, Daniels won the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, beating out guys like Bo Nix and Marvin Harrison Jr. While the postseason success might’ve factored in, the Commanders were a lowly team without him.
Fast forward to this previous season, and there is positive momentum moving their way. Quinn’s upbeat yet charasimatic style works brilliantly with Daniels’s calm demeanor.
As the 2025-26 season kicks off in a matter of months, the Commanders are in a prime position to continue to make noise. With Daniels at the helm, he’ll likely make more adjustments to his game and shut off the spigot of skeptics’ criticism.
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