“So They Think They’re All That Now”: Fans React After Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin Opt Out of the Pro Bowl

Jayden Daniels made history in more ways than one this season. The Washington Commanders QB became just the 3rd rookie to win two road playoff games, set a new rookie completion percentage record (69.0), and carried his franchise to their first Conference Championship since 1991. He even made the Pro Bowl, becoming just the 15th rookie QB to do so. However, he and teammate Terry McLaurin have decided to skip the trip to Florida for what is now called the “Pro Bowl Games”.

The QB-WR tandem were the key to Washington’s resurgence this season and were well-deserved selections. However, the Pro Bowl isn’t what it used to be. Instead of a proper post-Super Bowl game in tropical Hawaii with all of the top talents, it’s a pre-Super Bowl trip to Disney World in Orlando without pads.

The fact that guys like Russell Wilson and rookie Drake Maye—who were both mediocre while starting just two-thirds of the season—can make it to the Pro Bowl Games nowadays really takes away from the honor.

Daniels wouldn’t be in the category of undeserving. He threw for 3,500+ yards and 25+ TDs while throwing fewer than 10 INTs. He also rushed for nearly 900 yards (891 to be exact, just a few yards behind Lamar Jackson) and six TDs while becoming just the 6th rookie QB to finish with a passer rating above 100 (100.1). Not to mention, Daniels was the main reason the Commanders dominated 4th downs with a league-leading 87.1 success rate.

On the other hand, after years of mediocre or downright awful QB play, Terry McLaurin finally had a quality signal caller throwing him passes. He responded with a Second-Team All-Pro performance, snagging 82 receptions for 1,096 yards to go with a career-high 13 TDs, which was good enough for 2nd in the league.

That said, the news that a rookie such as Jayden Daniels and his top wideout decided to opt out of the Pro Bowl Games seems to have riled up a few fans who think it means those guys think they’re too good for the Games. Others, however, appreciate that it reflects how the Pro Bowl no longer has the same appeal it once did. “Oh so they think they’re all that now huh,” one such fan wrote.

The Pro Bowl Games are a bit of a snooze-fest, so it’s not surprising to see players opting out. A whopping 23 Pro Bowlers have decided not to attend this year, including other stars who suffered heartbreaking playoff defeats, such as Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

However, Daniels’ decision is somewhat unprecedented, as 12 of the other 14 rookie QBs named to the Pro Bowl participated. Maye will make it 13 of 15 when he takes part, despite his modest numbers. The only other two to opt out were Dan Marino back in 1984 and Robert Griffin III in 2013, with RGIII sitting out due to injury.

Jayden Daniels has other, more important things to worry about as he enters the offseason. As the “grandson of veterans”, Daniels likes to pitch in with war veterans where he can. He’s doing just that through a partnership with USAA.

Daniels and McLaurin are likely to take some time off before getting back to work to take the next step in 2025. The Commanders will have the 29th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which isn’t great. But they do have the 3rd-most salary cap space at just under $87 million. With an elite QB like Daniels on a rookie contract, they will have tons of money to throw around for the next few years.