Jayden Daniels can take control of the MVP race with a win at Baltimore

Jayden Daniels’ rookie season with the Washington Commanders feels eerily similar to what C.J. Stroud was able to do with the Texans last season. I don’t want to compare the two because that’s not fair to either player. But it’s worth noting, it’s a stark reminder of last season. 

It’s something about being the second quarterback taken in the draft that has you wondering what teams are missing. Taking nothing away from Caleb Williams and the season he’s having. But after Stroud and Daniels were both the second quarterbacks taken in their respective drafts, it makes you wonder. 

Last season there were real conversations around Stroud busting his way into the MVP discussion. It was warranted too. Much like if Daniels were to get his third win over an AFC North team this season, it would warrant talking about him being one of the league’s best. 

But the season is still early and while the game against Baltimore is a great barometer of how good Daniels and the Commanders offense is, one game doesn’t determine if you’re in the MVP race or not, so we’ll need to see Daniels keep it up. 

Can Jayden Daniels be the second ever rookie to win NFL MVP?

It’s a long shot, but just like Stroud was in serious consideration, it might be time to look at Daniels as a shortlist nominee for the league's highest individual award. If he continues to tear through the league as a rookie, he could join Jim Brown as the only rookies to ever win NFL MVP. 

This season, Daniels has showcased just how dangerous of a dual-threat player he is and why he won the Heisman trophy last season at LSU. He’s averaging 227 passing yards per game and 60 rushing yards. He also has eight total touchdowns, four each. 

As good as those stats are, the one that sticks out is his accuracy. Against Cleveland, he posted his lowest completion percentage of the season with 56 percent. The four games prior, he completed 70.9 percent against Tampa Bay, 79.3 against the New York Giants, 91.3 against the Cincinnati Bengals and 86.7 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

That shows he has a lot of poise in the pocket. While most rookie quarterbacks, and dual-threat ones at that, force a lot of plays, Daniels is letting the game come to him. He’s not forcing passing, putting himself in danger and letting the offense come to him. 

It helps have an offensive wizard like Kliff Kingsbury, who spent the better part of his career grooming Kyler Murray into an NFL quarterback, as your offensive coordinator.

Since Week 1, Daniels has led the Commanders to four straight wins, including wins over the Bengals and the Browns. If they complete three straight over the AFC North with a win over Baltimore, Daniels will have thrusted himself into serious consideration for MVP. 

But he’s not a lock either. After all, Patrick Mahomes has practically lost a new weapon every week and still has Kansas City 5-0, Sam Darnold has effectively revived his dying career in Minnesota, and the duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are contending for MVP spots too. 

Daniels winning NFL MVP is a long shot, but if Daniels continues to light up defense this season, it could end up being a reality.