Jayden Daniels, the 23-year-old rookie quarterback for the Washington Commanders, is bringing a new light to the team. 

Daniels attended and played football for Arizona State (2019-2021) and Louisiana State University (2022-2023) and was the first round pick for the Commanders this year. 

Daniels is now one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and he has the statistics to back it up; for example, against the Cincinnati Bengals he passed a 91% completion rate, and he holds the number one spot in the NFL rookie quarterback ranking, with 1,410 passing yards. Additionally, he has thrown more than twice as many scoring drives than incompletions.

It has been seven years since the Commanders have had a winning record, and their current record is 5-2. “He is the answer– and we know he is,” said teammate Jonathan Allen. 

Daniels starting out strong just proves he can only improve. Coach Dan Quinn said, “He’s been continuing to grow on the job”. He is establishing his reputation as a promising quarterback for the Commanders.

The Washington fans are also expressing their excitement for the season, “Jayden looked good and more importantly, promising,” wrote a fan looking forward to the game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 27. 

Unfortunately, when playing against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 20, Daniels suffered an injury to the ribs in the first quarter. Tests have been done, but no solidified results have been released by the Commanders. 

This setback will hopefully not deter the enthusiasm of the players and the fanbase, and the new rookie will be back in no time. “What a time to be a Commanders’ fan,” said Gennaro Filice with NFL.com. Fans are anticipating a quick recovery to set their team back on track. After previous tough seasons for this team, there is a new hope, Jayden Daniels.