“Bro Won’t Even Start”: Jayden Daniels’ Hype Gets Shot Down by NFL Fans

The Washington Commanders, as a franchise, are completely starting over this season. After over three decades without a Super Bowl and two decades filled with controversies, it all falls to rookie QB Jayden Daniels to lead the team to new heights. The pressure is immense on the former Tiger, matching the sky-high expectations. The hype is undeniable too, echoing from every corner of the football world, yet some fans firmly believe that Daniels won’t even get the starting role.

The conversation sparked when a clip of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler praising the rookie QB surfaced online. The veteran journalist shared that Daniels’ name has come up quite frequently during the offseason. His spring performance is no secret, leading Fowler to believe that the rookie could be a ‘scary’ addition to the team—an ideal pick, overall.

Football enthusiasts, however, aren’t at all on the same page. The majority sees the entire buzz for it is: “Buzz doesn’t put a trophy in the trophy case.”

A few jokingly quipped that Daniels is actually ‘scary mid’ and ‘scary bad’, while others made it clear that the QB has yet to take a snap. Some went as far as to say that he would end up being nothing but a wasted draft pick. See for yourselves:

The scrutiny is certainly understandable, considering that the team didn’t quite get the job done with their last four first-round quarterbacks: Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey, Heath Shuler, and Robert Griffin III. Among them, only RGIII got a Pro Bowl nod, while only Campbell held the role of a primary starter for four years.

Perhaps Daniels will be different. Although he hasn’t faced a defensive player in pads yet, the rookie has displayed flashes of brilliance during OTAs, to the extent that even his teammates can’t stop praising him.

Wideout Terry McLaurin Sees Similarities Between CJ Stroud and Jayden

Texans QB CJ Stroud took the NFL world by storm in his debut year, not only leading the team to the playoffs but also defeating the high-flying Cleveland Browns in the Wildcard Round. Interestingly, he was also the second-overall pick of his draft, just like Daniels was this year. So, could the former LSU star follow in the OROY QB’s footsteps? Terry McLaurin certainly believes so.

The star wideout believes that Daniels faced the same set of struggles that CJ did at Ohio State. While Stroud’s stats saw a decline in 2022 with the Buckeyes, a similar thing happened with Daniels at Arizona State. Only after he moved to LSU did Daniels find his footing and even had a Heisman campaign before declaring for the draft.

“I have a history with C.J. Stroud, just knowing him and getting to know him and what he’s made up of, and the adversity he went through at Ohio State, and it built him for what he was ready for now. I think Jayden Daniels has a similar story to where he started out at Arizona State, goes to LSU, has a good first year, but that second year he takes off man and he wins the Heisman,” McLaurin said, as per the Sports Illustrated.

That being said, while Dan Quinn hasn’t yet declared the name of the starter for the 2024 season, it’s safe to assume that it will be Marcus Mariota. Daniels might have showcased his brilliance at the collegiate level, however, the NFL gridiron is a completely different environment.

The team also has an O-line dilemma that they need to figure out. Therefore, sitting the rookie out for an entire season could give the Commanders the edge that they need. The Packers did it with Jordan Love, as did the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes. And we all know where they are now.