A year ago, the Washington Commanders were finishing with four wins and securing the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There were plenty of people saying that Washington should pick Drake Maye if the Bears took DMV native Caleb Williams. Some said to just trade back and take J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix. The only voice that mattered was Adam Peters, GM of the Commanders, when he chose the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels. They were ridiculed for taking him to Top Golf as part of a pre-draft group outing, and they were ridiculed by others for picking him over the other quarterbacks.
That 20/20 hindsight is making Peters look smart as Daniels seems to be running away with the Rookie of the Year award. Nobody imagined, except Daniels, that on December 29, the Washington Commanders would have 11-wins and a playoff berth with the most wins in this franchise since the 1991 Super Bowl season. Led by Daniels, the Commanders beat the Falcons and Penix on Sunday Night Football to clinch a Wild Card spot, with one regular season game to be played. And forget the fools who claimed that Daniels “stole” the Heisman from Penix.
Of course there were the pre-Draft false rumors that Daniels did not want to play for the Commanders. Maybe during the dysfunctional years under the previous Washington team owner, that would have been the case. For owner, Josh Harris, who was celebrating the win simultaneously with his 60th birthday — players want to play for the Commanders. This will be a top destination spot in the coming offseason, just like it was at the trade deadline in the 2024 season.
“I’m blessed to go wherever I’m called. Whoever calls my phone, [when the] commissioner gets up and says my name, I’ll be blessed, and they’re going to get my all. That’s the best … the best opportunity. I will say they believe in me, so I’m gonna put in the work.”
— Daniels said a day before the Draft
Last week, Daniels was asked what he was most thankful for. He could have given many different answers that were more about life outside of football. He could have given some cliche soundbite, but instead, he said, “Most thankful for the Washington Commander organization drafting me — just making my dreams come to reality. And obviously my new teammates and, and brotherhood that I gained over this year. I’m thankful for the fans showing up each and every week.”
That certainly does not sound like someone with regrets about being drafted by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft.
The haters are going to try to find negatives wherever they can. The word “luck” has been the new negativity to say Daniels and the Commanders have just been lucky. You make your own luck. Just another walk-off win for Daniels last night in overtime on a 3rd down TD pass to Zach Ertz. A week ago he missed another walk-off win because there were 00:06 seconds left on the clock in the 4th quarter when he threw the game-winner to Jameson Crowder. Then of course there was the Hail Mary by Daniels to Noah Brown that beat the Bears earlier in the season. Yes, that was a miracle — and now we expect Daniels to part rivers and walk on water.
As of now, Daniels has three Game-Winning TD passes in the final 1:00 minute of the 4th Quarter or in OT this season, and that tied an NFL modern record (since 1970). Again, not lucky, in each of the games, the Commanders could have put the games away earlier — but you take the wins and the exciting endings. At times it feels like a fictional movie — and you know it is real as your heart is beating fast with excitement and adrenaline pumping. Your mind wanders to, “I don’t believe what I just saw.”
To take a page from the Washington Nationals and Dave Martinez in “STAY IN THE FIGHT” and “FINISHED THE FIGHT”, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn blurted out, “ALWAYS IN THE FIGHT!”
