Jayden Daniels has become the talk of the town this season and all for good reason! The 2nd overall pick of the 2024 draft has proved to be a blessing for the Washington Commanders by leading the team into back-to-back victories. Already breaking records of legends like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the 23-year-old is even being projected as this year’s MVP candidate.
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The only rookie to win the title in his rookie year was Jim Brown back in 1957, and according to Stephen A. Smith, Daniels might change that. After Washington’s 34-13 win over Cleveland, the ESPN analyst expressed his views about the “most accurate quarterback so far this season.”
He said:
“Y’all might think I’m crazy. I think he’s a candidate for a league MVP. I really mean that. I think he’s a candidate for the league MVP now.”
Smith further discussed how seasoned players like the Bills’ Josh Allen, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, Baker Mayfield, and Kirk Cousins have performed recently. While each of these quarterbacks has balled out, the leading analyst added that Jayden already has an advantage with his immaculate completion percentage.
Notably, the rookie quarterback has achieved the highest rate at 82.1% in a four-game stretch, surpassing every other quarterback in the league.
The leading analyst also praised the LSU product’s running and throwing skills. He then credited Washington’s OC Kliff Kingsbury for his coaching in helping Daniels adjust and become comfortable as a pro.
“The brother is balling. He’s running with the football effectively. He’s throwing the football effectively. He’s picking up on the offense in the National Football League effectively, courtesy of Kliff Kingsbury, former head coach in Arizona, who’s now offensive coordinator in the nation’s capital, who’s really doing a hell of a job. We got to give credit where credit is due.”
Daniels possibly winning this year’s MVP isn’t just Smith’s views but was also echoed by this former Super Bowl champion.
Antonio Brown foreshadows this year’s MVP nod
After Washington’s victory on Sunday, former Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown took to X to express his thoughts about the Commanders’ quarterback. Clearly, Brown was quite moved by his performance, even joining the MVP hype train and speculating that the rookie might very well be on his way to making history.
Jayden Daniels may mess around and be MVP
— AB (@AB84) October 6, 2024
The hype surrounding the Heisman winner is gaining momentum in the betting world as well. As reported by Ben Fawkes, one bettor placed $500 on the line for Daniels to win the MVP title when the odds stood at 250-1.
Thus, if Stephen A. Brown and several other fans’ predictions come true, the bettor would take home a whopping $125,000.
One bettor at @BetMGM wagered $500 on rookie QB Jayden Daniels at win NFL MVP at 250-1 odds.
Bet would win $125,000.
Daniels down to 18-1 …
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) October 6, 2024
Jayden Daniels has brought about a wave of excitement in the league, with the rookie outperforming several current and former NFL players within his first five games. That said, if the 23-year-old does become the first rookie to win the MVP title this year, it will truly be a tale for the NFL history books.
