After racking up over 5,000 total yards in his final season playing in the SEC, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised when Daniels broke out as the QB5 per game as a rookie averaging 23.9 Fantasy points per game in 2024. Daniels finished second in rushing attempts and rushing yards behind only Jalen Hurts. This provided his weekly floor and ceiling. Daniels' Fantasy stock is boosted by a rock-solid scheme to fit his skill set delivered by OC Kliff Kingsbury -- one only the Cowboys found a way to stymie in 2024. The Commanders added Deebo Samuel (a perfect scheme fit) and more importantly Laremy Tunsil to protect his blind side. This year you have to pay a hefty price for Daniels -- and he even comes off the board as QB2 in some drafts -- but his upside makes him well worth his Round 4-5 price tag.
Daniels and most other starters won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
There's a list of 33 players that won't take part Saturday, including Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Terry McLaurin (contract), Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown (undisclosed), Jaylin Lane, Zach Ertz and John Bates. The next time we see most of them will be a Week 1 home game against the Giants.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Runs for TD on lone drive
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Daniels played four snaps in Monday's preseason game against the Bengals, taking one carry for a 14-yard touchdown.
He played just one drive, which started with a 19-yard run from Deebo Samuel and a 40-yard scamper by Chris Rodriguez. Two plays later, Daniels scrambled for a touchdown on his lone dropback. That will likely be his only action this preseason, with the focus shifting to a Week 1 matchup against the Giants and wideout Terry McLaurin's unresolved contract situation.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Set for limited playing time Monday
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Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Saturday that Daniels and most of the starters will play "a few series" during Monday's preseason matchup against the Bengals, Zach Selby of the team's official site reports.
Daniels sat out Washington's preseason opener against the Patriots last week, but he and the majority of other offensive starters will get an opportunity to shake the rust off with at least a handful of exhibition drives at home versus the Bengals on Monday. Cincinnati's plan is to play the starting unit for 2-3 drives for a second straight week, per Jay Morrison of SI.com, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Commanders were to simply match that workload. Top wide receiver Terry McLaurin (ankle) was activated from the active/PUP list Monday, though the move is reportedly not indicative of progress between the 30-year-old wideout and Washington toward a new contract. McLaurin won't be a candidate to play Monday, and he'll likely also sit out the preseason finale against Baltimore per Commanders writer Ben Standig, but still, McLaurin moving toward a return to the field is a positive development for Daniels' fantasy projections.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Won't play Friday
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Daniels won't play in Friday's preseason opener against the Patriots, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.
The same applies to veteran signal-caller Marcus Mariota (lower leg), which leaves Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman to handle the team's QB reps Friday. Daniels' next chance to see game action will arrive Aug. 18 against the Bengals.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Not worried about McLaurin holdout
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Daniels isn't worried about Terry McLaurin's contract holdout impacting the duo's rapport, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
McLaurin is frustrated with negotiations but ultimately still wants an extension in Washington rather than a trade. Daniels, meanwhile, seems to be getting along fine in practice without his top wide receiver -- his first pass of 11-on-11s at training camp was a deep completion to new weapon Deebo Samuel. The Commanders also traded for LT Laremy Tunsil this offseason, and then drafted RT Josh Conerly in the first round, but their interior line figures to be temporarily weakened after standout guard Sam Cosmi suffered an ACL tear during the playoffs. It's still a good situation for Daniels overall, especially if/when McLaurin gets back on the field.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
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Daniels was named the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports.
Daniels completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,568 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions over 17 regular-season games with Washington this season. He also added a rookie-QB record 891 rushing yards while scoring six touchdowns on the ground. It comes as no surprise that he was able to bring home the hardware as the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, edging out fellow quarterback Bo Nix, wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas and tight end Brock Bowers for the award.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Excellent rookie season concludes
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Daniels completed 29 of 48 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 55-23 NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles. He added six rushes for 48 yards and an additional score.
It wasn't Daniels' most efficient performance, and his potential comeback attempt was cut short by four total turnovers from the Commanders -- though he accounted for only one on an interception late in the fourth quarter with the contest already decided. He still managed to lead five total scoring drives, highlighted by a 36-yard touchdown throw and a 10-yard rush. Though Daniels' rookie season concluded short of the Super Bowl, he exceeded any realistic expectations both from an individual and team perspective. Across 19 total games, he accounted for 35 total touchdowns while turning the ball over only nine times, and he will enter the 2025 season as a top fantasy option at the QB position.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Full practice Wednesday
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Daniels (leg) practiced fully Wednesday.
Daniels didn't take the field after halftime of this past Sunday's win at Dallas, and head coach Dan Quinn told Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post afterward that leg soreness was the reason for the rookie quarterback's early exit. On Monday, Quinn added that he was "not concerned" about the issue, per Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site, and Daniels' ability to handle every practice rep Wednesday confirms as much. Daniels thus is set to start Sunday's wild-card contest at Tampa Bay, against whom he managed 184 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions on 17-for-24 passing and 16 carries for 88 yards and two scores back in Week 1.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Monday that he's "not concerned" about the leg soreness that forced Daniels out of Sunday's 23-19 win over the Cowboys, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.
Daniels logged a precautionary exit at halftime during the Week 18 game against Dallas, but it doesn't sound like his status will be impacted at all heading into Sunday's wild-card matchup on the road at Tampa Bay. Washington's first official practice report of the week will be released Wednesday, at which point it will be revealed whether Daniels' leg soreness is still limiting him in any capacity, or whether he's already been cleared to take full reps.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Left game with leg soreness
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Daniels was feeling soreness in his leg before leaving Sunday's 23-19 win over the Cowboys at halftime, coach Dan Quinn revealed after the game, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Daniels' exit was precautionary, and there has been no indication that his availability for the wild-card round against the Buccaneers is in question. Backup Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to their 12th win of the season to secure the No. 6 seed in the NFC.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Poor finish to great regular season
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Daniels completed six of 12 passes for 38 yards and rushed four times for 27 yards before being lifted at halftime of Sunday's 23-19 win over the Cowboys.
Daniels struggled in the final appearance of an otherwise excellent regular season. Despite this weak final outing, Daniels is still the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,568 yards with a 25:9 TD:INT and tacking on a rookie quarterback record 891 rushing yards, as well as six rushing touchdowns. The Commanders trailed 9-3 when Mariota took over, but the veteran backup immediately led a touchdown drive and helped Washington come back to secure the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Daniels will look to bounce back in the wild-card round against either the Rams or Buccaneers.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Carries offense in tight victory
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Daniels completed 25 of 31 pass attempts for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns while taking 11 carries for 66 yards in Sunday's 20-19 win over New Orleans.
Daniels picked apart the opposition by completing 81 percent of his passes while using his legs to extend multiple drives in Sunday's one-point victory. The promising rookie recorded his fourth game with multiple touchdowns and no turnovers through 14 starts as a pro. As of the conclusion of this game, the 9-5 Commanders still have an outside shot at the NFC East title, so expect inspired play from Daniels against the first-place Eagles next Sunday.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Nearly 350 total yards in loss
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Daniels completed 25 of 38 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding seven rushes for 74 yards and another score in the Commanders' 34-26 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.
For the second time this season, Daniels' passing yardage total received a serious boost from a chunk play in a game's final seconds, as the rookie connected with Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining that closed Washington's deficit to one point at the time. Prior to that throw, Daniels had struggled against an aggressive Cowboys defense that was able to sack him on four occasions and pick him off in Dallas territory in the first half. Daniels' rushing yardage total was his highest since Week 5, while his tally through the air was his best since he threw for 326 yards against the Bears with the help of a game-winning Hail Mary in Week 8. Daniels projects to have another tough challenge on his hands when the Commanders host the Titans in a Week 13 home matchup.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Held in check in loss
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Daniels completed 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding seven rushes for 18 yards in the Commanders' 26-18 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night. He also threw a two-point conversion pass.
Daniels salvaged his fantasy night to an extent with a five-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 28 seconds remaining and a subsequent two-point conversion pass to the veteran tight end in the back of the end zone that was originally ruled out of bounds. Prior to that, the talented rookie had scuffled through a fairly unremarkable game that also saw him evaluated for a concussion shortly before halftime and the Eagles do an effective job of limiting his rushing yards and keeping passes in front of them. The LSU product ultimately recorded at least one completion to nine different players, but only one, Austin Ekeler, tallied more than 47 receiving yards. Daniels has now seen his passing yardage drop in three consecutive games following his career-best 326-yard showing against the Bears in Week 8, although Michael Phillips of The Richmonder also reports the second overall pick had a cut on his hand that had to be glued shut at one point in the second half. Daniels now will have extra time to regroup and recover before a Week 12 home matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday, Nov. 24.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Pair of passing scores
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Daniels completed 15 of 22 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 27-22 win over the Giants. He added eight rushes for 35 yards.
Daniels led the Commanders on three scoring drives in the first half, two of which he capped with passing touchdowns. He delivered a one-yard score on a short field after a Giants turnover and then ended the second quarter with an 18-yard strike -- both of which went to Terry McLaurin. The ground attack was the focus of Washington's offense throughout the game, which led to relatively modest numbers from Daniels, though he continued to produce very well on a per-attempt basis with five completions of at least 20 yards.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Good to go
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Daniels (ribs) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at the Giants, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
Daniels played through the same injury last week without any reported complications, and he's now closed out Week 9 prep with his first full practice since hurting his ribs Week 7. He shouldn't have any limitations this Sunday and remains one of the top fantasy options at his position, combining efficient passing with frequent, effective running.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Stays limited in practice
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Daniels (ribs) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.
After getting knocked out of Week 7 action against the Panthers early due to a rib injury, Daniels was able to suit up this past Sunday against the Bears and log 100 percent of the offensive snaps en route to 326 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on 21-for-38 passing while rushing eight times for 52 yards. The performance, including a game-winning Hail Mary to WR Noah Brown, all but cleared up that he'll be OK on game days, but he'll continue to operate with a cap on his practice reps in the short term. Friday's injury report will unveil whether or not Daniels enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's road matchup with the Giants.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Limited in practice
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Daniels (ribs) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
Daniels played through the same injury in Sunday's 18-15 win over the Bears, with no report of a setback during the game or after. His statistics didn't look especially good prior to throwing a game-winning Hail Mary, but that could have more to do with Chicago's stellar defense than Daniels' rib injury. Either way, the rookie is expected to play through the injury once again Sunday at the Giants.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Walk-off win against Bears
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Daniels completed 21 of 38 passes for 326 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 18-15 win over the Bears. He added eight rushes for 52 yards.
It was a mild surprise that Daniels was active after he sustained a rib injury in Week 7 and went on to practice just once in a limited capacity during the week. He still managed to be active on the ground, highlighted by a long gain of 13 yards, and he was also effective on passing attempts down the field. Daniels completed five passes of at least 20 yards with a long of 61 to Terry McLaurin that set up a field goal later in the first quarter. However, the highlight of the day came on the final play of the game, when Daniels launched a Hail Mary that landed in the arms of Noah Brown after a deflection for a 56-yard score to win the game. That padded Daniels' stat line in an unsustainable way, but he still put together a solid performance given the combination of his injury and a tough matchup against the Bears.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Seemingly trending toward playing
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Daniels (rib), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Bears, looks to be tracking toward playing, but the team will need to see how he feels during pregame warmups before deciding on his status, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Daniels took the field for just one possession in last Sunday's win over the Panthers due to a rib injury that kept him from practicing Wednesday and Thursday. He returned to the field Friday as a limited participant, and he said after the session that he felt good and wanted to play against the Bears. The decision ultimately won't be Daniels' alone, with the coaching staff as well as the Commanders' medical team likely to make a call on whether he'll play based on how he looks while warming up Sunday. Daniels' status won't be confirmed until about 90 minutes before the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, when Washington posts its inactive list. If Daniels ends up sitting out, Marcus Mariota will make his first start of the season.
