Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is on the road to success — Andscape

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Black star quarterbacks are no longer the exception—they are the rule. Throughout the football season, this series will examine the importance and impact of Black quarterbacks from the grassroots to the NFL.

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ASHBURN, Va. – Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is off to a solid start, and one former Commanders quarterback isn't surprised.

Jason Campbell, once a first-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins and a four-year starter for the franchise, became a fan of Daniels when he saw him play in college at LSU. Daniels' success as a runner has helped the Commanders during their 1-1 start, Campbell said, and he will help Daniels get comfortable in the team's passing game. Campbell is optimistic about Daniels' future, assuming, of course, that Washington's coaching staff handles the young player's development correctly.

As the team prepares for a Week 3 road game against the Cincinnati Bengals at its practice facility, Daniels has continued to make the right moves, Campbell said.

“One thing he does really well is protect the ball. He hasn't thrown an interception yet, and for a rookie quarterback in his first two games, that's really good,” Campbell told Andscape on Tuesday. “Even when there are turnovers, and they're going to happen, you can tell he understands he has to make good decisions with the ball. I know they're trying to protect him from running so much. I know that's a big deal (because of injury risk). There was a lot of talk about him running 16 times in Week 1.

“But it's not like they had 16 planned runs for him. If they did, then that would be a problem. But most of those runs were scrambles. Those runs are going to open up explosive plays in the passing game because it puts pressure on the defense when a quarterback can run like he does. There's just not a lot of guys that can do that. The difference between Washington and LSU so far is that he had so many explosive passing plays at LSU in addition to his running game. Once he starts building that chemistry with his receivers, combined with his running game, those plays are going to happen.”

Selected second in the 2024 draft, Daniels, 23, was one of six signal-callers selected in the first round, tying a record set in 1983. After two games, Washington's rookie was the best of the group.

Daniels has completed 75.5% of his passes for 410 yards. Although he has no touchdown passes, most importantly, Daniels also has no interceptions. Daniels has 132 rushing yards (and an impressive 5.1 yards per carry average) with two rushing touchdowns. He has fumbled twice, but the Commanders have recovered the ball each time.

In comparison, the other two rookie starters, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and No. 12 pick Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, struggled. Both seemed overwhelmed by the speed of the game.

After the Commanders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Daniels' career debut, he showed composure in their home opener. Confidently, Daniels led a game-winning charge that capped a 21-18 victory over the New York Giants. With the Commanders trailing 18-15 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels led the team on consecutive drives that resulted in field goals, including a 30-yard run as time expired. In those drives, he completed 7 of 9 passes for 91 yards. Daniels ran for 15 yards twice.

While watching Daniels at LSU, Campbell thought the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner's game would translate well to the NFL because “these days in the league, it's all about the RPO (run-pass option),” Campbell said. “These NFL coaches now want guys that can make plays with their legs. And just the first time you watch him, you can see that he really does that.”

In his current role as a radio analyst for the Auburn Sports Network, Campbell has often seen Daniels play in the SEC. Campbell was named his alma mater's analyst in 2023 and was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. That season, he led undefeated Auburn to an SEC championship and a Sugar Bowl victory.

Washington selected Campbell in the first round (25th overall) in the 2005 draft. He had a 10-year NFL career and also played for the then-Oakland Raiders, the Bears, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

When Campbell first saw Daniels, who transferred to LSU after three seasons at Arizona State, play in person, one thought immediately came to mind: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Although Daniels wasn't as polished as Jackson, the two-time AP NFL MVP, “you could see some of the same things,” Campbell said. “Guys like Lamar, Jalen Hurts (of the Philadelphia Eagles), Justin Fields (of the Pittsburgh Steelers) … they make big plays with their legs.”

“When I played, they (the coaches) always wanted you to stay in the pocket. If you didn't stay in the pocket, it was, 'Damn. I did something wrong.' Today, if you can leave the pocket and run like these guys do, the coaches see that as an added threat. The whole mindset of the coaches has changed. Now, it's a big advantage. The RPO game has really allowed the guys to come in, get going right away and learn on the field. A guy like Daniels can beat you with his legs as much as he can beat you with his arm.”

As a member of Washington's Black Quarterback Association, Campbell has a vested interest in Daniels' development.

Then-quarterback Doug Williams delivered a legendary and myth-busting Super Bowl performance when he led Washington to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII in 1988. Williams was the first black passer to start in the Super Bowl and was named the game's MVP.

Although Williams, who is a senior adviser to Washington's general manager, was not drafted by the Commanders and started just 14 games for the franchise in four seasons, all of the Black quarterbacks who play for the team do so in his shadow, Campbell said. The club also drafted Robert Griffin III (2012, No. 2 overall) and Dwayne Haskins (2019, No. 15 overall) in the first round.

“You do feel like there's a little more pressure to live up to that,” Campbell said. “He was the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and for Washington, that's a big deal.”

“But the bottom line is: To make it as a quarterback in this league, you have to be in the right place, in the right situation and have the right players around you. Things are going in a pretty good direction for (Daniels) right now.”

And hungry for success, Commanders fans hope Daniels stays on his current course.