Alongside a series of technological advancements in the NFL over the years, there also has been a shift in the style of football being played. The change in style has meant teams are looking for new ways to win, and Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey believes he has a formula.
Champ Bailey Believes Having ‘Mobile Quarterback’ Is Way To Win in the Modern NFL
Bailey was weighing in on Jayden Daniels’ effect on the Washington Commanders’ 2024 season in an interview with RG and credited the rookie quarterback’s multi-dimensionality for the team’s late-season and postseason success.
The former Commanders and Broncos cornerback highlighted the success of other dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2024 season, stressing that versatility was the way forward to winning in the modern NFL.
“A couple other guys proved this as well, that you have to have a mobile quarterback to win in this league today. You just can’t be one-dimensional. Your best chance is to have a quarterback who can get those tough fourth downs and convert those third-and-shorts. It’s inevitable that all the teams will start looking for it. The sky’s the limit with this franchise [Commanders].”
Bailey’s winning formula is supported by the fact that dual-threat quarterbacks largely dominated the 2024 season. Players like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts occupied three of the top four spots in PFN’s QB+ metric. Baker Mayfield and Brock Purdy, who aren’t thought of as runners, had their best rushing seasons and it translated to top-10 QB+ scores.
Bailey Picks Daniels as Offensive Rookie of the Year
Daniels’ impact has been seismic, and he’s already shown that he’s a big-game player. In his first playoff game, he led the Commanders to a 26-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
This was Washington’s first playoff win since the 2005 season when they beat Tampa Bay 17-10. And while he wasn’t the only rookie quarterback to lead his team to the playoffs with Bo Nix having led the Denver Broncos, Bailey believes Daniels has an edge due to his success in big games.
“I feel like he did more with less,” said Bailey. “He just did more with less. He won some big games this year and winning 12 games with expectations of hopefully winning five games. That’s so impressive. It’s one of those franchise-changing moves, getting a guy like him, and he stood up to the task. I give it to him, hands down.”
Daniels’ regular-season numbers only add to his historic rookie campaign. He threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 891 yards and six scores. His dual-threat abilities made him one of the league’s most dangerous players, earning him an 85.7 score in PFN’s QB+ metric — ninth-best among all quarterbacks this season.