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