Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had mad props for Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels on Monday. He said he does not root too much for other teams, but he is pulling for Daniels to win it all. He and Daniels have similar games and have competed against each other since they were kids.
C.J. Stroud Finds Himself Rooting for Daniels To Bring Home the Big Prize
Stroud said he will support Daniels, who is having the best rookie year a quarterback has ever had per the Buckeyes alum. “In my opinion, he’s had the best rookie year of all-time,” Stroud said to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “I don’t root for many other teams, but I’m rooting for my boy. I’m rooting for the Commanders.”
C.J. Stroud on Jayden Daniels: "In my opinion he's had the best rookie year of all-time. … I don't root for many other teams, but I'm rooting for my boy. I'm rooting for the Commanders."
Respect. pic.twitter.com/HA6RcuIkNI
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 20, 2025
Stroud said he is very happy with everything Daniels has accomplished on the field this season. Daniels has won two road playoff games this postseason — the Commanders won the Wild Card round at Tampa Bay and decimated the top-seeded Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday night.
Stroud and Daniels are both from Southern California and know each other very well as they grew up together.
“Man, that boy crazy. I am so happy for that dude. The motivation that he has given to back home, where we come from, whew,” Stroud said. “We are the first two to do it and he is giving kids back home hope. We aren’t the best athletes, but if you stay at it.”
“He has not had it easy,” Stroud said. “San Bernardino is not an easy place to come from.”
Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, threw for 3,568 yards while rushing for another 891 yards this season for the Commanders. He directed Washington to a 12-5 record during the regular season.
Stroud’s season is over as the Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round on Saturday (Jan. 18).
Factoring in the playoffs, Daniels has a grade of 86.1 (B) in PFN’s QB+ metric. For comparison, Stroud posted an 81.9 (B-) during his rookie season.
Daniels became the first rookie to beat a No. 1 seed since Joe Flacco in 2008, the first rookie QB in NFL history to record 275 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in a playoff win, and the third rookie QB to win two road playoff games (joining Flacco and Mark Sanchez).
Now, Daniels is attempting to become the first rookie QB to lead a team to the Super Bowl. Washington is the ultimate Cinderella team, and PFN’s model gives the Commanders a 38.2% chance of defeating the Eagles and a 16.7% chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
