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NFL Veteran Plays ‘Start, Bench & Cut’ Among Rookies Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams & Drake Maye

Sneha Singh
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Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye

With half of the 2024 season behind us, the buzz around the early draft picks has reached its conclusion. The top three quarterbacks of this year’s draft — Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye — have been the subject of much discourse, be it in their favor or not. Keyshawn Johnson has also shared his opinion about them and is even prepared to cut one of them, if necessary.

During his appearance on FS1’s Speak, Johnson was asked whom he would ‘start, bench, and cut’ among the three top drafts. A former No.1 pick himself, he is well familiar with the pressure an early draft brings. However, the former Super Bowl champion didn’t give this year’s top pick, Caleb Williams, much of a chance.

“So I’m starting Jayden Daniels, there’s no question about it,” stated Johnson, placing the Washington signal caller on top. Next, he decided to bench Williams but quickly reconsidered, realizing the third option was to cut someone from the roster.

“I’m benching Caleb Williams… You want me to cut somebody? I’m gonna cut Caleb… Caleb playing like you need to get cut.”

Finally, Maye was chosen to be benched. And from this little game, Johnson’s judgment of Chicago’s quarterback was crystal clear. Despite being the center of attention in the 2024 Draft, the former USC Trojans QB has failed to live up to the hype and has been clearly outshined by his runner-up.

How Jayden Daniels overshadows Caleb Williams

When Williams was drafted by the Bears, it was a ray of hope for fans who felt they might finally have a franchise quarterback. However, the USC product has failed to recreate his magic in Chicago. The team is at a dismal record of 4-5, and the recent Patriots game saw the worst QB rating from the rookie at 13.6.

While Williams faces heat having been plagued with sacks and missed passes, Daniels has emerged as an unexpected hero. The LSU signal-caller has led the Commanders to a stellar 7-3 and has been on a streak of setting new records with his excellent passing record. A favorite in the MVP race, Daniels has completed 180 out of 22 passes for 2,147 yards, with 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

The top two drafts were naturally the center of attention, so when the Bears clashed with Commanders in Week 8, it was more action-packed than anticipated. The two teams went neck-to-neck, with Daniels’ crew 3 points behind Chicago and less than 30 seconds on the clock. However, this is where Daniels stepped into action and launched a ‘Hail Mary’ pass to Noah Brown, cementing their victory with a miraculous touchdown.

While Jayden Daniels has taken over the rookie stage with his top-notch performance, the season is far from over. Williams still has at least eight games to redeem himself and regain his throne.

Post Edited By:Samnur Reza

About the author

Sneha Singh

Sneha Singh

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Sneha Singh is an NFL journalist for The SportsRush. She is currently pursuing engineering, but her passion for writing and love for American football led her to join The SportsRush in 2024. With prior experience at various media outlets across genres, Sneha has been following the sport for the past three years. What started from coffee table banter with her friends arguing for their favorite teams, soon developed into a deep-rooted love for the sport. Before she knew it, Sneha was passionately following the offseason, tracking trades, draft prospects, and heartbreaking retirements. The two teams she holds closest to her heart are the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. The last two years have been quite eventful for Sneha, as both of her favorite teams made it to the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons. However, her first live game ended in heartbreak when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Eagles on the grandest stage. The disappointment carried into the following year when the Chiefs beat the 49ers. Even Jason Kelce announced his retirement, which she wasn't thrilled about, but she appreciates that he's still connected to the league in various ways. When it comes to covering a story, it's not just the on-field action that excites Sneha but also the behind-the-scenes strategies, stories, and business dealings. She currently has over 400 articles to her name. Outside the NFL, Sneha finds solace in fiction. Whether it's books, films, anime, or video games, as long as there is a good story with creative expression, she's there for it. On the flip side, Sneha also likes to code and is an avid ML developer. What little time is left when she is not writing, consuming, or coding, Sneha likes to play the guitar.

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