The sophomore slump is possibly as old as the NFL itself. Every year, a rookie quarterback takes the league by storm, only to be humbled the following season after tapes pile up and teams learn to adjust. The 2025 season is shaping up to be the slump campaign for Jayden Daniels.
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After a mercurial rookie season in 2024, where the OROY threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 69% completion rate, Daniels’ second year has been plagued by inconsistency and injury. In six games this year, he has completed just 62.5% of his passes for 1,184 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Daniels has also been sacked 17 times. And now, after dislocating his left elbow in Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, he’s expected to miss several weeks. It’s a cruel twist for a player hailed as the future of Washington’s offense. As Bill Belichick recently pointed out, the LSU alum’s case is a classic reminder of how hard it is to sustain success in the NFL.
Appearing on the Let’s Go podcast, the legendary head coach reflected on this year’s surprising storylines, including the 7–2 New England Patriots led by Drake Maye. That’s when Belichick used the Commanders’ struggles as a cautionary tale.
“Competitively, almost everyone who’s been in strong competition will tell you that it’s a little bit easier to get to the top than to stay on top. An organization like Washington could see that this year. They had a great year last year… Things fell right for them, and this year everybody’s gunning for them, and it’s a lot tougher,” Belichick said.
It’s hard to argue against the UNC HC’s assessment. The Commanders, who have now dropped four straight games, sit at 3-6 and look like a shadow of their 2024 selves when they made the NFC Championship. Daniels’ regression mirrors the Commanders’ overall slide.
The warning part, Belichick couldn’t help but praise the poise and production of his former team’s signal-caller, Drake Maye. The sophomore QB has steered the Patriots toward an improbable resurgence under head coach Mike Vrabel.
“Certainly, Drake Maye’s had an outstanding year for the Patriots. They’ve won a couple of close games, and that’s really changed their record,” Belichick added.
And indeed, Maye’s numbers tell the story of composure and growth. The 23-year-old sophomore QB has completed a league-best 74.1% of his passes for 2,285 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. That’s more than his rookie-year totals in just nine games.
The MVP hopeful ranks fourth in passing yards and tied for third in touchdowns. He has guided New England to six consecutive wins and a share of the AFC’s best record at 7–2.
Comparing the took quarterbacks from the 2024 Draft class, it’s worth noting that Daniels has been super unlucky this season with three injuries. Also, Maye is yet to scale the heights that his Commanders counterpart did in his year 1. So it’s not exactly a close comparison here.
But Belichick’s core thought remains undeniable. Getting to the top is tough, but staying there takes real hard work and consistency… Something Maye will have to deal with, next season.
