Could Commanders' Jayden Daniels Suffer 'C.J. Stroud Effect' In Year 2?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 10:22 PM ET

There isn't too much the Washington Commanders have to "worry" about when it comes to Jayden Daniels in Year 2, but one thing is the dreaded sophomore slump.

Players who often have a stellar rookie season sometimes struggle to replicate it due to a variety of reasons, including teams figuring out their tendencies, roster changes, or a combination of both.

But there doesn't seem to be much concern over that happening to Jayden.

Although the Houston Texans thought that about C.J. Stroud, who did regress a little in Year 2.

For Fox Sports' Henry McKenna, in a "what could go wrong" scenario for 2025, Daniels goes full Stroud.

"After seeing what happened to Stroud in Year 2, there’s a growing sense of anxiety for sophomore quarterbacks," McKenna writes. "So could Daniels be the latest QB to fall prey to that sophomore slump? Well, yeah, absolutely. Remember that star receiver Terry McLaurin is locked in a contract battle with Washington. We’ve seen negotiations influence training camp reps — and, in turn, negatively impact QB-WR rapport. It’s hard to sustain success in the NFL. Daniels’ second year might be yet another example of that."

Critics fears aside ...

Stroud actually won one more game in Year 2, still made the playoffs, and won a playoff game. Yes, his stats were down across the board, and his general play wasn't consistent, but we aren't sure if it was a "slump" of sorts.

For Daniels, replicating his efforts from last year is going to be tough, after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making it to the NFC Championship game, so we have to be careful about expecting too much from a second-year quarterback.

As bad as it sounds, a 10-7 season and making the playoffs is a "regression" for Daniels, but it would still be a good season, providing his level of play doesn't dip too much.

Will Daniels be able to hold off the C.J. Stroud effect in 2025? That'll be the hope.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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