Can Jayden Daniels Avoid the Sophomore Slump?

Since 2011, there have been just 18 instances where an offense went an entire game without punting or turning the ball over. Only four QBs have pulled this off twice: Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and Jayden Daniels. Even more impressive? Daniels is the only one to do it twice in the same season.

Click here for more 2025 Player Profiles!

Under Kliff Kingsbury, Daniels and the Commanders consistently found ways to keep the offense on the field. Washington led the league in plays per drive last year, thanks in part to an incredible 81.3% conversion rate on fourth down (20/23 in the regular season and 6/9 in the playoffs).

Even if that number regresses toward the mean, it doesn’t change the identity of this offense. The Commanders didn’t just react to defenses, they imposed their own tempo and style.

Virtual Reality, Real Results

Daniels’ preparation habits offer a glimpse into how he processes the game. Dating back to his LSU days, he’s been training with virtual reality at 1.75x speed to simulate different scenarios. The result? The game slows down for him on Sundays.

This shows up with how quickly he processes reads. If the throw isn’t there, Daniels doesn’t hesitate to tuck the ball and run. In a quick passing system, that decisiveness keeps the offense ahead of the chains and in rhythm.

Washington also leaned into this with scheme. With Daniels under center, the Commanders led the NFL in no-huddle rate at 64.5%. The next closest team? The Russell Wilson led Steelers at 32.3%. That’s not just a stylistic note; it’s a reflection of how much mental bandwidth Daniels has at the line of scrimmage.

Cool, Calm, & Collected

Peyton Manning once said, “Pressure is something you feel when you don't know what you're doing.” Jayden Daniels rarely looked overwhelmed, even under duress. Of the 38 QBs with 250+ dropbacks last season, Daniels ranked 9th in efficiency when pressured as a rookie.

That poise helped fuel Washington’s rise from a top-five draft pick to a championship weekend appearance in just one year. Daniels finished as QB5 in fantasy, and with additions like Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel, there’s plenty of reason to believe he could take another step forward heading into year two.

Daniels vs. Hurts: The Case for QB3

Daniels is currently priced as QB3 in fantasy drafts, behind only Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. I’m taking him over QB4, Jalen Hurts, and here’s why:

Last season, Daniels led a more efficient offense than Hurts despite operating with significantly less talent around him. He wasn’t propped up by elite weapons or a dominant offensive line. He simply played better, within and out of structure. While Hurts scored eight more rushing touchdowns, the overall rushing fantasy point gap between them was surprisingly small: Daniels posted 125.1 points on the ground to Hurts’ 147, thanks in large part to his 200-yard edge in rushing yards.

Finally, the passing volume isn’t close. Daniels attempted 119 more passes than Hurts last season, a gap that’s unlikely to shrink given how the Eagles are built. With a stacked offense and one of the best defenses in the league, Philadelphia may find itself in fewer negative game scripts, limiting Hurts’ passing ceiling. Meanwhile, Daniels will remain the centerpiece of the Commanders' offense.

Bottom Line

• Much of what made Jayden Daniels successful as a rookie is repeatable. He’s a quick decision maker who consistently keeps the offense ahead of schedule.
• In fantasy, you can’t go wrong betting on an elite dual-threat QB (ADP: QB3, 31). Daniels became just the 10th QB and only the third rookie in NFL history to throw for over 3,500 yards and rush for 500 in a single season. He was also one of the most efficient scramblers in the league, and with rushing yards being worth 2.5 times more than passing yards in standard formats, his ground production gives him a floor most QBs can't match.