What is the best case for Jayden Daniels in 2025? And worst case?
The Washington Commanders have done everything possible to surround second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels with as much support and talent as possible. Washington brought back its entire offensive coaching staff, despite Kliff Kingsbury having teams interested in interviewing him for a head coaching position. In addition to Kingsbury and staff's return, general manager Adam Peters rebuilt the offensive line, trading for Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil and using a first-round pick on tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
Peters also traded for former Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel and re-signed both of Washington's top two tight ends, Zach Ertz and John Bates.
Daniels was phenomenal as a rookie, improving throughout the season. He looked like a top-5 NFL quarterback in the postseason. Daniels is also committed to being great, both on and off the field. The term "sophomore slump" is often mentioned when discussing successful rookies in any sport. Daniels doesn't appear to be a candidate for a sophomore slump.
But you never know.
Henry McKenna of Fox Sports recently named what could go right — or wrong — for every NFC quarterback in 2025.
What could go right: Daniels takes Washington to the Super Bowl.
There were plenty of individual achievements for Daniels as a rookie — and team achievements for the Commanders. And now everyone is afraid Daniels & Co. will regress, because that's often what happens to teams that punch above their weight class. But sometimes a surprisingly good team finds a way to hold onto the ground it's gained, particularly with big offseason additions (LT Laremy Tunsil and WR Deebo Samuel). Given what Daniels did in Year 1, we'd be foolish to doubt that a Super Bowl is at least possible.
That's the best-case scenario, and it's not impossible, considering how well the Commanders performed in 2024. Certainly, the Commanders will likely regress in some areas in 2025. Some things are not sustainable. However, Washington is more talented in 2025 and, if healthy, much better along the offensive line. If Daniels is as good as he was last season, or better, the Commanders are a legitimate Super Bowl contender if the defense improves.
Now, for the bad.
What could go wrong:The C.J. Stroud effect.
After seeing what happened to Stroud in Year 2, there's a growing sense of anxiety for sophomore quarterbacks. So could Daniels be the latest QB to fall prey to that sophomore slump? Well, yeah, absolutely. Remember that star receiver Terry McLaurin is locked in a contract battle with Washington. We've seen negotiations influence training camp reps — and, in turn, negatively impact QB-WR rapport. It's hard to sustain success in the NFL. Daniels' second year might be yet another example of that.
Many people use the term "sophomore slump" in reference to Stroud's 2024 season. However, if you examine the numbers, Stroud's downfall is often overstated. Yes, he took a step back, but he wasn't bad. Daniels may take a step back, but he also offers a different skill set than Stroud. I wouldn't worry too much about McLaurin. Washington will take care of him. For Daniels to be considered one of the elite QBs in only his second season, he'll need to avoid a similar regression.
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