The Washington Commanders hit a home run with their No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Jayden Daniels. Not only did Daniels earn Rookie of the Year honors, but under his leadership, the Commanders made a remarkable turnaround, improving from a 4-13 record in 2023 to 12-5 in 2024.
However, a player’s second season is typically when things can stall for young quarterbacks—a sentiment echoed by Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who has 25 years of head coaching experience.
Having mentored some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, Reid’s advice serves as a reminder for Daniels to manage expectations and avoid getting ahead of himself.
Andy Reid’s Warns Jayden Daniels To Stay Cautious
In his rookie season, the Commanders’ quarterback threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. This sets the stage for his performance in the upcoming season. However, Reid cautions that how Daniels handles the pressure and high expectations will ultimately determine his success in the NFL.
“The second year is a big challenge,” Reid told ESPN. The Chiefs’ head coach further believes that if Daniels can maintain his performance in Year Two, it could be a strong indicator of future NFL success. “If you can get through your second year, you’ve got a pretty good thing going.”
With NFL defenses now analyzing Daniels’ pro-style plays on tape, Dan Quinn will look for new ways to capitalize on Daniels’ elite athleticism, aiming to make Washington’s offense one of the best in the league. According to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, the Commanders have the sixth-best offense.
The Commanders would focus on building their offense around Daniels’ pocket presence and deep ball accuracy. But Reid believes Quinn Will have to be very careful in how he further forges Daniels. “That’s the balance they have to be careful with. Does how much you add to it end up diluting what he does great?” Reid added.
It will be interesting to see how Quinn tackles this challenge. One way to go about it would be by adding more fresh offensive players through the 2025 NFL Draft. PFSN’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft predicts the Commanders to draft wide receiver Matthew Golden in their late Round One pick at No. 29.
Although the Commanders already have Terry McLaurin—who developed strong chemistry with Daniels last season—and solid depth with Deebo Samuel Jr., Luke McCaffrey, K.J. Osborn, Noah Brown, and Michael Gallup, adding to their receiving corps wouldn’t hurt.