Jayden Daniels will have some pressure on him to repeat his rookie heroics in 2025. That’s why he’s started working toward success by putting on some muscle this offseason. The latest photos of him at training camp show a stark difference from Year 1 to Year 2. But will that help?
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One of the biggest critiques of Daniels coming into the league was that his style of play didn’t match his frame. He would recklessly throw his body into harm’s way constantly in college at LSU. Luckily, he never suffered a serious injury doing this. But NFL scouts believed Daniels would get smoked and end up on the shelf for a while if he tried to pull off some of those antics in the league.
Surprisingly, though, Daniels remained incredibly healthy in his rookie year while putting up elite rushing totals for a quarterback. Now, with a target on his back, the Washington Commanders quarterback revealed how he’s been trying to bulk up this offseason.
“I’ve been doing a little curls,” Daniels told ESPN while laughing. “Couple curls, a couple push-ups.”
The response got a hearty laugh out of the panel, mainly because there’s just no way that’s all Daniels has been doing. His arms look noticeably larger compared to a few months ago. He has to be doing more than curls to tone those guns.
Yet, Daniels chose to remain humble. He didn’t overshare and even put out the idea that he’s been getting stronger naturally with age.
“I just know I got stronger naturally over time. That’s what everybody was telling me. I mean, you can see the pictures, it’s kind of crazy. But that just comes naturally with maturity,” Daniels said.
Humans typically reach their peak muscle strength in their 20s and early 30s, so it makes sense that Daniels revealed he’s continuing to grow naturally. Still, he should give himself some credit for putting in the work when no one was looking.
Jayden Daniels in 2024 vs 2025 (so far)
Very noticeable that his arms got bigger & more definition.
LOVE to see this from QB1. pic.twitter.com/n3JjuxodMz
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) May 22, 2025
By the end of the discussion on the topic, the young phenom said that he had to put on muscle to get stronger and withstand more brutal hits.
“I know I’ve got to go up against some people this year that might be trying to get after me a little bit. So, I gotta be able to withstand some of those blows when it comes to taking a hit,” Daniels shared.
Furthermore, he said that he is constantly trying to improve himself. So, the offseason work came naturally to him.
“I just think that’s who I am as a person. I want to be the best version of myself. When it’s all said and done, I want to have no regrets in my career with football.”
All in all, Commanders fans should be pretty stoked about the face of their franchise for the foreseeable future. We all thought Caleb Williams was the bell of the ball in the 2024 Draft class, but Daniels has subverted those expectations. He looks more refined, more decisive, and even sounds more mature than the No. 1 overall pick at times. The tables have completely turned.
Now, going into Year 2, Daniels needs to continue building on his success. But it sounds like he’s got his head on straight, and his offseason work ethic was clearly noticeable. Because of that grind, he might just need a permit to carry those guns around on his biceps.
