If it wasn’t clear before, it’s near-certain now that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
His five-touchdown performance Sunday in a dramatic 36-33 win over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles should give voters little doubt of his credentials.
However, one more significant stat line on his already impressive resume can solidify his coronation as the league’s best first-year player.
Daniels is just 79 rushing yards away from breaking the all-time rookie quarterback record, set by former Washington passer Robert Griffin III in 2012 (815 yards).
The No. 2 overall selection in April is averaging 49 rushing yards per game at the moment, so if he keeps up his current pace he’ll break the record in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani, Daniels became just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 250 yards, five touchdowns and rush for 75 yards in a single game.
Since exiting college, he’s made an immediate impact on a Washington team that desperately needed an immediate turnaround — not unlike how Griffin did before ultimately suffering an unfortunate injury in the 2012 playoffs.
Hopefully, no such ill fortune will befall Daniels but his multitude of rushing attempts this year have already resulted in a rib injury that kept him out for the remainder of Washington’s Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers.
There hasn’t been any indication Daniels will pull up on running the ball, as his recent form has also shown, while Washington will surely depend on it as it makes a final push for the playoffs.
Sitting at 10-5 for the first time since 1991, the team currently holds the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoff picture.
A win against the Atlanta Falcons (8-7) on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 17 could potentially clinch Washington a postseason berth for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.
