Jayden Daniels kicked off his second season with the Washington Commanders not only with a win against the New York Giants, but with a head nod from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Tom Brady.
The star quarterback-turned-sports analyst awarded Daniels his infamous “LFG” award, which he gives to a player after a standout performance. After the season opener, Daniels joined Brady for a postgame interview, where Brady revealed someone had foreshadowed the moment hours earlier.
“Jayden, I saw your mom (Regina Jackson) in the pregame, and she said, ‘Hey, my boy is going to win LFG Player of the Game today,’” Brady said. “And I said, you know what? At home, I’m never betting against him.”
Though Daniels had an impressive start to the season, completing 19 of 30 passes for 233 yards, he admitted the team still had first-week jitters to work through.
“Week one, we didn’t play our best. We played sloppy. You got to get all the week one jitters out. But we executed enough to get a win,” Daniels said.
One of the biggest highlights for Washington was the debut of wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The chemistry between Daniels and Samuel was evident, with the duo connecting multiple times throughout the game.
“He’s just another weapon to our offense,” Daniels said. “Get him the ball and space, and he makes a lot of good things happen.”
@JayD__5's mom told @TomBrady he was going to win the #LFG Player of the Game today and she was right!
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 7, 2025
Congratulations to @Commanders QB Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/M2mntTrx4U
Rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt also flashed promise. While Daniels noted that the rookie still has lessons to learn, such as staying in bounds to drain the clock, he was still excited about his new teammate.
“He did his thing. I’m super happy for how hard he ran… great cuts, and I’m just super pumped for him,” Daniels said.
The Commanders' defense also made its own statement, relentlessly pressuring Giants quarterback Russell Wilson. Daniels laughed about watching them dominate: “I’m finally glad they got to rush against somebody else other than me. Super happy for those guys.”
Sunday’s game was more than just a 1-0 start; it was a glimpse at what this new-look roster can become. As they shake off the game against the Giants and focus on the Green Bay Packers, Jayden’s mom’s early-season prediction is a sign that Daniels could be collecting plenty more LFG honors and wins this season.
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