As Washington Commanders fans watched Drake Maye and Caleb Williams lead their teams to playoff victories on wild-card weekend, it only makes a narrative that's been brewing all season long all the more uncomfortable.
This was supposed to be the Commanders. This was supposed to be Jayden Daniels. The gem of the 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class. He is good. They are bad. We won. They lost.
It was never going to be as simple as taking premature victory laps after Daniels' historic rookie year, when he led Washington to the NFC Championship game. It also doesn't mean the momentum can't swing back in his favor.
Welcome to the NFL. Life changes fast. And we all need to accept it.
Adjusting the Jayden Daniels conversation starts with accepting who he is
No matter how you slice Daniels' second season, it was a disappointment. The slump happened. He couldn't stay on the field, and that matters.
Even when he was, Daniels wasn't his rookie self. His numbers regressed across the board, and flaws in his profile were exposed. Visibly, he didn't have the same effortless command of the offense he had in 2024.
His completion percentage went from 69 to 60.6. Meanwhile, reducing his scramble rate was supposed to be a focus in Year 2. Instead, it rose by nearly three percentage points.
Those are valid concerns. While it's not to write him off by any means, fans and coaches need to be honest.
It has never been harder to have critical conversations about athletes than it is today. There are two types of players in sports: those who are their fans' personal savior, and those who exist only to be scapegoats. If you say anything negative about the former type, which Daniels most certainly falls into, then you're a hater.
Everybody wants their quarterback to be perfect. They want them to be the type of guy you can put the ball in the hands of and always trust good things to happen. They want them to be someone who nobody questions, criticizes, or says a single negative word about ever.
They want them to be something greater than human.
It's not realistic or healthy. The charm of greatness in sports comes from overcoming human obstacles. It comes from embracing adversity instead of hiding from it. It comes from accepting the hard truths and using them as fuel for growth. And Daniels will be the first to admit this.
Washington still believes in Daniels, and for good reason. He has already provided this organization with its highest of highs in 30 years. But moving forward, Commanders fans want more.
They want him to win MVPs. They want him to win Super Bowls. They want him to be the long-term answer at quarterback this franchise has been missing for decades, one of those guys you can always take comfort in knowing you have him steering the ship.
Commanders fans want Daniels to be their savior.
It's a high standard. And as he strives to meet it, everyone needs to accept that Daniels' growth is a non-linear process that will throw its share of hurdles at him.
Daniels won't be perfect, and that's okay. He can only be the best version of himself, and that might be enough.