Jayden Daniels is widely regarded as one of the league's brightest young quarterbacks, and for good reason. The Washington Commanders might be struggling overall at 3-5-1, making him an easy target, but the signal-caller is a franchise cornerstone to build around for the next decade.
Has it been perfect? Of course not, but there are very few (if any) quarterbacks in the league that Commanders fans would swap for Daniels.
Daniels was tabbed in the "Strong QB1" category alongside Houston Texans standout C.J. Stroud, placing No. 14 overall in FanSided's midseason quarterback rankings. That might be a little low, but recency bias is real.
Jayden Daniels drops slightly in FanSided's midseason quarterback rankings
FanSided experts and editors from all 32 team sites were asked to grade every quarterback in the league on a scale of 1 to 12, based on their performances during the campaign. Daniels' preseason score dropped by .068 to 8.56, which also dropped him two spots in the standings.
It's understandable, of course.
Daniels missed two games with a dislocated elbow. He's been criticized for being too conservative, and there have also been some glaring lapses in concentration in critical moments.
Had those things gone a little better, Daniels would be much higher on the list.
But there is still time to change the narrative.
The former Arizona State star will have gained significant confidence after coming through in the clutch on Thursday Night Football. Things could have easily gone the other way when Daniels was picked off twice on consecutive fourth-quarter drives by the New York Giants, but his relentless mindset shrugged it off and made his final drive count.
Jaydenn Daniels is still exceptional, and Commanders must do more to help
And with some winnable games upcoming, the Commanders are not quite out of the fight yet.
Everyone knows what Daniels can do when he is fit and firing on all cylinders. He is accurate, intelligent, composed, and athletic. He knows how to evade pressure, and his nerves of steel mean he is made for the big moments.
Daniels has things that cannot be taught. And even though signal-callers are playing better, things remain on track for the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Commanders have a big decision to make on Daniels' contract this offseason.
He becomes extension-eligible, and extending Daniels quickly could keep the price from rising even more. But it won't be cheap, and it could even be in the $60 million per year range if he excels over Washington's final eight contests.
That's for the future. For now, Daniels is focused on getting the Commanders into NFC East supremacy.
They are two games behind the Giants after a vital prime-time win. However, there is a long way to go and a lot of hard work left before postseason aspirations can return.
But if Daniels keeps stacking good performances, the Commanders won't be an easy out for anybody.
And who knows, perhaps Daniels will crack FanSided's "High-End QB1" category the next time these rankings are done.
I wouldn't bet against it; that's for sure.
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