Jayden Daniels has the Washington Commanders on the doorstep of the Super Bowl in his rookie season.
On Saturday, a masterful performance from Daniels helped lead the Commanders to a 45-31 win over the Detroit Lions, securing a spot in the NFC championship in the process.
With the win, Daniels is set to become just the sixth rookie quarterback in NFL history to start in a conference championship game, but his path to a title game was comparatively much more challenging than those who came before them.
As Kyle Brandt of pointed out, the previous five rookie quarterbacks to start a conference championship game had the help of a top-ranked defense in the league, while this year’s Commanders land in the middle of the pack.
While the other players on the list all deserve their flowers as well, it’s clear that game-management was enough to help lift an elite defense to advancing in the postseason. Meanwhile, on this year’s Commanders team, Daniels and the offense are undoubtedly the stars of the show.
Next week, Daniels will look to put himself on an even more exclusive list—while he’s the sixth rookie quarterback to reach a conference championship, with one more win he could become the first quarterback in NFL history to start a Super Bowl.
