Jayden Daniels was not yet 11 years old the last time Washington started an NFL season 3-1. That was back in 2011, but the season took a turn for the worse, ending with a 5-11 record, which led to the drafting of the team’s former great hope at quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
Now, Daniels is bringing a sense of excitement similar to what Griffin brought in 2012, completing 82.1% of his passes for the best four-game start by any quarterback in league history and scoring seven touchdowns along the way.
However, there are many signs that this team and the Heisman Trophy-winning second overall pick have more lasting potential than past players who faced similar expectations and fell short.
“It’s not any magic that’s going into this,” coach Dan Quinn said during a video call with reporters on Monday, just a day after his team dominated Arizona 42-14. “To think he would start like this, no, I don’t think anybody would’ve said that.
But what I would say is that if you’re around him, you feel this work ethic, and there’s no magic pixie dust that we’re throwing into him. It is absolutely grinding, working, and a lot of confidence comes from that because he can enter the game knowing that he put the work in.”
Quinn has noticed Daniels working on video late into the night, and this past offseason, the LSU star made a habit of arriving early at the team facility for personal walkthroughs, which became part of the story leading up to his debut.
What has followed has been nothing short of amazing, and Daniels is quickly becoming a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz mentioned that it seems like Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have been collaborating for years.
