Following a historic rookie campaign, Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders will no doubt look to get back into the mix in the NFL playoffs next season.
The quick and unexpected franchise turnaround comes as the poised Daniels navigated NFL defenses like a veteran quarterback. Falling in the NFC Championship to the eventual Super Bowl Champion, Philadelphia Eagles suggests that Washington is just a few pieces away from glory. With that being said, the Commanders are being viewed as a major contender for one of the bigger fish on the market.
Former Triple Crown WR On His Way To Washington?
With Terry McLaurin being the lead receiver for Washington last season, an additional stud wideout could make all the difference for this talented offense. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz elaborates on why Cooper Kupp may be the perfect man for the job.
“The Commanders already have a great outside receiver in Terry McLaurin. Now they need an inside presence from the slot, and Kupp would be a strong fit. There’s no question that Kupp had a subpar season in 2024, and he hasn’t played more than 12 games in each of the past three years due to injuries.
“A trade for Kupp would be a gamble that he can return to his earlier form. But if it hits, it would be a huge gain for the Commanders. No defense could double-team both McLaurin and Kupp, giving quarterback Jayden Daniels more open targets in all parts of the field.”
Kupp’s Influence Joining Already Premier Offense
The bold prediction from Schatz would undoubtedly take this strong offense to an even higher level. The Commanders ranked in the top five offense+ for PFSN in 2024 finishing fifth. Their B grade suggests room for improvement, but finishing ahead of teams like Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs shows excellent potential for things to come.
PFSN’s Sterling Xie explains what made this young offense one of the NFL’s best in 2024.
“Through 17 weeks, the Commanders have the eighth-lowest turnover rate, which puts the offense in position to succeed as often as any — fueling their fourth-place ranking in points per drive.
“Daniels’ latest masterpiece was his overtime victory in Week 17 over the Atlanta Falcons to clinch the Commanders’ first playoff appearance since 2020. His scrambling has led to a ridiculous 53.5 EPA, while no other QB has more than 35.7 EPA on scrambles this year. Put another way, the gap between Daniels and second-place Jalen Hurts is larger than the gap between Hurts and 11th-place Joe Burrow.”
Just How Good Was Jayden Daniels Rookie Campaign?
Daniels took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors with his dazzling season defeating other big name players including former teammates Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. His performance also earned him a rank inside the top ten of PFSN’s QB+ rankings. His 85.3 regular season rating ranks him above elite quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love.
Ben Rolfe of PFSN, spoke on the impressive season from the Louisiana State University product.
“Daniels’ season has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, but his QB+ grades indicate a relatively high level of consistency in the final metrics. He’s had just one game graded below a C- (D+ in Week 10 vs. Pittsburgh), with nine games graded between C- and C+ and five graded as a B- or above.
“Daniels finished eighth in EPA/DB (0.15), ninth from a clean pocket (0.30 EPA/DB), and sixth when under pressure (-0.11). He had 31 total touchdowns during the regular season — 25 of which came through the air.
“The importance of Daniels in this team is emphasized by the fact that his first lowest grades this year all came in losses, while their 12 wins came in the 13 games where he finished with a QB+ score above 75.”
If the Commanders are to go out and get a guy like Kupp, it could strongly help avoiding the possible sophomore slump mentioned by Rolfe.
