There are only 10 rookie QBs in NFL history that have a playoff win under their belt. Only four of those won twice and only three of them won both on the road. Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez did it in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and Jayden Daniels joined the list this postseason. But while Flacco and Sanchez relied on elite defenses, Daniels has been the catalyst for this Cinderella run by the Washington Commanders. Some people just have that thing. Like how Tiger Woods had it.
Advertisement
And if anybody knows about that thing, and can identify that thing, it’s the greatest to ever do it, Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champ discussed Daniels’ ungodly rookie season on the Let’s Go podcast with Jim Gray, among others. Daniels’ tangibles are above reproach obviously, so Brady wanted to talk about the intangibles, which have arguably played a larger role in the LSU product’s success this year.
“How do we really evaluate confidence? How do we evaluate poise? Because some people have it, the moments aren’t too big for them.”
Brady expressed how some people just have that poise and confidence, and some are imbued with a “fear of failure” at an early age that keeps them from achieving that poise. Guess which kind of person Jayden Daniels is.
“They look at the challenge and they think, ‘Man, this is gonna be amazing when we go out and beat these guys.’ And other guys look at the challenge and go, ‘Oh man, I really don’t wanna mess up.’ And I think that fear of failure, instilled in a lot of people in early points of their life, keeps them from the ultimate confidence that they have in themselves, which allows them to grow to their maximum potential.”
Daniels is 6’4″, 210 pounds, and runs a 4.32 40-yard dash. The rookie threw for over 3,500 yards and rushed for nearly another 900. He threw 25 TD passes and ran another six in. He was producing. However, it’s that poise and confidence that really shone through.
That poise helped him put up a 69.0 completion percentage, 6th-best in the league this season and a new NFL rookie record. Not to mention those 4th-quarter comebacks, which are 2nd-most by a rookie all-time.
Brady couldn’t help but swoon over how cool, calm, and collected Jayden Daniels has been. Forget Joe Cool, they could call him Jay Cool. The GOAT is so taken with the Commanders’ signal caller that he likened Daniels’ rookie season to Tiger Woods’ iconic first pro year in the PGA in 1997.
“So, even though Jayden Daniels is just a rookie, he has that poise and confidence. Imagine, I guess, another correlation would be: look at a young Tiger Woods. He never had proven on the big stage that he was ready for those big moments like the Masters in ’97. But he had proved that to himself in all those junior amateurs. He didn’t care who he was playing (against). It was him vs. him.”
Woods would go on to become the youngest player ever to win the Masters during his first full year as a pro. And, those who thought that tournament was a fluke were in for a rude awakening, as he became arguably the greatest player to ever pick up a club.
So, will Jayden Daniels’ thrilling 2024 postseason run be the springboard to a Hall of Fame career? Or will it simply be the highlight of a solid NFL tenure that never reached these heights again?
