“He (Jayden Daniels) was playing much better football as a rookie than I was. I was just trying to survive. He was leading the team… they [Pittsburgh] didn’t have to lean on me like the Commanders leaned on him. He’s playing great football and I enjoyed getting to watch him down the stretch,” Ben explained on the Footbahlin podcast.
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In 2004, Roethlisberger compiled 2,765 total offensive yards with 196 pass completions and a completion percentage of 66.4% while scoring 18 total touchdowns. Transversely, Daniels amassed 4,459 total offensive yards in the 2024 regular season, and succeeded in 331 of his attempts en route to historic 69% completion percentage.
Additionally, Washington’s newfound QB scored 31 total touchdowns this year. However, despite playing in five more games and throwing 185 times more than the former Steeler, Daniels’ only threw nine interceptions to Roethlisberger’s 11.
With his rookie metrics shattered, Roethlisberger had no choice but to praise the 24-year-old QB. “What a football player… If he continues to improve, he’s going to be a game changer for a long time,” he observed.
Ben continued by noting that the Commanders “need to build a time around him” and that if they are able to do so, then Ben believes “that’s a team that could be special for a while now. He’s a really good football player.”
Additionally, Roethlisberger felt no need in faulting the rookie for the Commanders 55-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, noting “they ran into a buzzsaw. The Eagles are a buzzsaw… they are just built to win.”
Daniels finished the game with 255 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception, and 48 rushing yards.
During the course of the Commanders’ divisional round victory against the Detroit Lions, Daniels broke the NFL’s all time record for most offensive yards by a rookie, including the playoffs. Previously held by Andrew Luck, the new all time total now rests at 5, 416 offensive yards as the record will now reside with Daniels for the foreseeable future.
The LSU product managed to lead Washington to a 12-5 regular season record, their best since 1991. Additionally, this was the franchise’s first NFC Championship appearance since the same season.
The Commanders’ rookie finished 16th overall in passing yards, 10th overall in passing touchdowns, sixth overall in completion percentage, and second overall in rushing yards for QBs this season.
The 2023 Heisman trophy winner is set to continue his record-breaking ways as the Commanders find themselves in one of the more favorable positions this offseason. Washington currently has the third most cap space available in the league, in addition to 29th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft this April.
