Jayden Daniels has turned the Washington Commanders around and has taken the team to a 12-5 record this year after going 4-13 in 2023. After defeating the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 as major underdogs, the Commanders have risen from the ashes like a phoenix and moved onto the NFC title game for the first time since the 1991 season.
Nick Saban’s High Praise for Jayden Daniels
The quarterback, on his surefire path to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year, recorded his second-best passing yards with 299, two touchdowns, and 51 rushing yards against the Lions. Regarding this, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, whose Crimson Tide took on the QB during his tenure, praised the rookie and reiterated some previously made points.
"Since Joe Burrow Jayden Daniels was the most dominating player that we played against at Alabama..
He's a great passer and he's fast as hell..
He's smart and he makes great decisions"
Coach Saban #PMSLive #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/OMzswrLgx1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 20, 2025
“Since Joe Burrow… [Jayden Daniels] was the most dominating player we played against at Alabama for four, five years. And I said it last year in the draft, you know, all these pro people call and ask your opinion on players you’ve faced. I said, ‘This is the best player we played against for five years.’
“I think this guy is a great passer; he’s fast as hell, he can scramble and make plays, he’s smart, and he makes good decisions. I don’t see how you can go wrong with this guy. I actually thought he was the best player in the draft last year because of the production he had in college — and he did it for two years.”
After spending 17 years at Alabama, where he garnered a 206-29 record and led the team to six national championships, Saban also saw 133 players make it to the NFL, out of which 47 were Day 1 picks. So, even with Daniels winning the Heisman Trophy, Saban’s praise is not given lightly, especially considering Daniels’ college team, LSU, defeated the Crimson Tide in 2022.
Daniels has accumulated 3,568 yards for 25 scores and nine interceptions in his rookie campaign. He also set a new rookie QB record with 891 rushing yards for six touchdowns.
“I always believed we could achieve more than what people give us credit for. You have to go out there and put in the work each and every day,” Daniels said postgame on Jan. 18. “Just put your head down and grind, and when you look up at the end of the season, you could be in a position like this.”
The Commanders will next face the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field.