Sportsnaut
A surprising new poll of NFL coaches and executives shows just how high many around the league are on Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2023, the rookie continued that impressive momentum by guiding Washington to 12 wins and a trip to the NFC Championship game last season. Well, it seems the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year was so impressive to many decision-makers around the game that they put a higher value on him as a QB than some of the elites of the sport.
On Monday, The Athletic released a poll of responses from 31 coaches and NFL execs on various inquiries heading into Week 1 of the new season. On the question of “You’re starting a franchise from scratch. Who are the top three QBs you’d take?” Daniels earned 13 votes. Double the amount two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson got.
The only quarterbacks who got more votes were three-time Super Bowl champ Patrick Mahomes. Reigning MVP Josh Allen. And Joe Burrow, the player most picked to win the 2025 NFL MVP by the 31 respondents.
Now, if the question was which quarterback would you choose to try and win a Super Bowl in 2025, Jackson would have gotten more votes. But it still says a lot about how many around the league view Daniels. Who is only four years younger than the Baltimore Ravens superstar.
In his NFL debut season, the former LSU star threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, with just nine interceptions. Daniels posted a passer rating of 100.1 and added 891 rushing yards and six TDs on the ground in 2024.
In comparison, fellow Pro Bowler Jackson tossed for 4,172 yards and 42 touchdowns with just four INTs last year. He had a 119.6 passer rating and rumbled to 915 yards and 4 TDs on the ground for a 12-win Ravens team last season.
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