Is Commanders' Jayden Daniels 'Cemented' As Top-10 QB?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 8:19 AM ET

Jayden Daniels' rookie season for the Washington Commanders has been called one of the best ever, and now, as he approaches Year 2, the bar of expectation has been raised.

After a 12-5 regular season, two playoff wins, and an NFC Championship game, Daniels, to have a similar year to 2024, will need to have a lot of things go his way. But we know he's got the talent, and with the players around him, many expect the Commanders to challenge for the Super Bowl.

So, Daniels was good in 2024, but what can we expect of him in 2025? When it comes to ranking the top-10 quarterbacks in football, fans are all wondering the same thing about the D.C. phenom ...

And yes. Fox Sports has provided their list, and Jayden comes in at No. 9.

"Daniels needed just one NFL season to break into the top 10 at his position," Fox Sports writes. "The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award and led Washington to its most wins in a regular season since 1991. He completed 69% of his passes for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 891 yards and six touchdowns. But what cemented his ranking in the top 10 was his ability to lead the Commanders to the NFC Championship."

Some feel a regression is coming, and in truth, replicating last year is going to be a tall order, just ask C.J. Stroud, who struggled in his second NFL season, so Daniels does have it all in front of him.

With Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, the two key signings this offseason, the Commanders got a whole lot better at two positions that will directly impact how Daniels performs.

There's no denying that Daniels is already one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, but he has to stay there.

All of this is based on his ability to back up what was an incredible rookie season, and while getting to the top is hard, staying there is even harder.

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

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