Jayden Daniels' breakout season with Washington is no surprise to those who knew him before the NFL

ASHBURN, Va. -- Jayden Daniels has not fixed overmuch thought to really he has handled half a play playing backmost successful nan NFL.

"I still person immoderate ways to go," he said. "I’ll beryllium backmost and bespeak aft my rookie twelvemonth is done."

That's OK. The remainder of nan athletics has plentifulness to opportunity about Daniels taking nan convention by storm, starring nan Washington Commanders to their first 7-2 commencement since 1996 and becoming not only nan favourite to beryllium nan AP Offensive Rookie of nan Year but putting himself firmly successful nan MVP conversation.

“You guys sewage to extremity calling him a rookie quarterback," seasoned tight extremity Zach Ertz said. "He whitethorn beryllium a rookie backmost successful position of years successful this league. But his maturity, his poise is that of a 10-year vet.”

Daniels' breakout play has travel arsenic nary astonishment to those who knew nan San Bernadino, California, autochthonal during stints astatine Arizona State and past LSU, wherever he blossomed into nan 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and nan second prime successful nan draft. Teammates turned friends and coaches complete nan years person seen a subordinate wished to beryllium nan champion and a personification humble capable to make these past 9 weeks look for illustration conscionable nan commencement of a lengthy profession pinch nary limit connected what Daniels could accomplish.

Inheriting nan unit of being Washington's look of nan franchise for an statement decades removed from its glory days did not look to get to Daniels, who teammates person said has had nan aforesaid attack since nan first time of offseason workouts done throwing a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown successful Week 8 to hit Chicago.

That is 1 of his first 163 completions connected 228 attempts — a occurrence complaint of 71.5% that ranks among nan champion QBs successful nan NFL of immoderate acquisition level. He has thrown for 9 touchdowns, tally for 4 much and has conscionable 2 interceptions.

“He doesn’t move nan shot complete a lot,” said Herm Edwards, who coached Daniels for 3 seasons astatine Arizona State. “That isn’t portion of his DNA. That’s not what happens. You ne'er interest astir that arsenic acold arsenic him pinch nan shot successful his hand, whether he’s throwing it aliases running. He’s go a smarter runner, obviously, and that’s needed successful this league."

The biggest blip for Daniels came erstwhile he injured his ribs getting tackled and landing awkwardly astatine nan extremity of a agelong run. He near that crippled — a 40-7 rout of Carolina — and mightiness person played if nan stakes were higher, past he was correct backmost connected nan section a week later.

Daniels, even pinch sore ribs, has thrown for 535 yards and 3 TDs and ran 16 times for 87 yards.

"It’s not a astonishment to me," said San Francisco receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a teammate of Daniels' astatine Arizona State. “He’s conscionable nice. He’s existent good. He’s conscionable ever been that good.”

Malik Nabers heard nan chatter astir Daniels erstwhile he was transferring to LSU successful 2022, and that first play vanished pinch immoderate awesome numbers: 17 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a 10-4 record. Then, aft training pinch C.J. Stroud and others successful California, Nabers noticed a displacement successful Daniels' mindset and demeanor.

“He was conscionable for illustration picking defenses apart,” said Nabers, nan sixth prime successful nan draught and now nan No. 1 receiver for nan NFC East-rival New York Giants. "He was moving extra, staying other long, making judge we sewage nan plays aft practice. He was nan eventual leader. I deliberation that’s what he changed: He became for illustration nan eventual leader and started starring by example, starring by vocalness and conscionable taking nan discourtesy over.”

Daniels led nan state pinch 40 TD passes successful 2023, ran for 10 much and won nan Heisman arsenic nan last accomplishment of his assemblage career. But nan arriving early and staying precocious did not stop, from walkthroughs successful nan team's believe bubble earlier outpouring workouts pinch rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey to nights coach Dan Quinn observed Daniels studying movie good aft acheronian during nan Commanders' week successful Arizona betwixt games.

“It’s not immoderate magic that’s going into this. ... He really puts successful nan work,” Quinn said. “There’s nary magic pixie particulate that we’re throwing into him. It is perfectly grinding, working, and a batch of assurance comes from that.”

It's not conscionable sweat equity. At LSU, Daniels underwent cognitive processing tests connected a computer, and pinch nan school's head of capacity innovation, Jack Marucci, developed a programme pinch a virtual reality headset to activity connected his anticipation.

“You could spot his ratio and velocity improving and really he was scanning," Marucci said, pointing retired it was for illustration Daniels sewage different 250 snaps a week and 2,600 complete nan people of a season. “It’s knowing and anticipating wherever he’s going to extremity up and now you person to deed a spot connected nan field.”

Daniels still uses nan VR device, which offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is “all-in on.”

“It’s been a awesome tool, not conscionable for me, but nan different quarterbacks — nan guys that want to usage it to get an separator and get nan reps without having to spell retired location and physically do stuff,” Daniels said.

Kingsbury interviewed for aggregate jobs astir nan NFL. After coaching Patrick Mahomes astatine Texas Tech, Kyler Murray pinch nan Arizona Cardinals and past (as an adviser) pinch Caleb Williams astatine Southern California, nan chance to activity pinch Daniels — who was drafted a fewer months aft he was hired successful Washington — and nan Commanders made excessively overmuch sense.

“Kliff Kingsbury is an outstanding fresh for him," LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “And nan benignant of discourtesy that they run, it’s thing that I deliberation is seamless for him."

Cam Taylor-Britt derided it arsenic “simple” and a “nice assemblage offense.” Daniels burned nan Cincinnati Bengals cornerback and his teammates connected 21 of 23 passing for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns successful a 38-33 triumph successful premier time connected “Monday Night Football."

When nan Bears-Commanders crippled was flexed to nationalist TV, it provided Daniels' signature infinitesimal truthful acold erstwhile he scrambled for astir 13 seconds and lofted up a walk that sailed 65 yards successful nan aerial earlier tipping up and into Brown's hands successful nan extremity zone.

Edwards, who still texts Daniels connected a regular basis, almost foreshadowed it talking astir nan 23-year-old 2 weeks earlier nan Chicago game.

“He has nan expertise to widen plays, and what he does — and group tin already spot it and it’s not luck — he tin propulsion nan heavy ball,” said Edwards, who's now an ESPN analyst. “He tin propulsion it pinch accuracy connected nan tally aliases from nan pocket. He has a consciousness for throwing nan shot down nan field.”

The Hail Mary exemplified what everyone astir Daniels raves about: his poise nether pressure. Edwards calls it Daniels' “ability to support his composure erstwhile nan lights sewage nan brightest.”

Terry McLaurin, who has been Washington's apical receiver since being drafted successful 2019, said Daniels came into nan convention much fresh than astir rookies astatine nan astir important position successful sports.

That has been evident moreover to opponents. Baltimore backmost Lamar Jackson after outdueling Daniels said his counterpart has been proving himself and playing amazing.

“Washington is successful bully hands pinch him,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said “He’s nan truth."

Only Jackson, Buffalo's Josh Allen, Mahomes and Detroit's Jared Goff person shorter MVP likelihood connected BetMGM Sportsbook, which now has Daniels astatine 10-1. Nabers, who initially made a friends $10,000 bet pinch Daniels astir which 1 would beryllium AP Offensive Rookie of nan Year earlier canceling it, said his friend's occurrence stems from a desire to triumph that he doesn't spot successful galore others.

“I cognize erstwhile he is successful that moment, he’s not frightened of it,” Nabers said. "He’s not frightened of nan hype, nan large plays to beryllium made. If it is crunch time, he wants to ball.”

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AP Sports Writers Brett Martel successful Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tom Canavan successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Josh Dubow successful Santa Clara, California, contributed.

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