Breaking: Jayden Daniels Mania Sweeps the NFL: Vic Fangio’s Endorsement Sparks NFL Buzz
Shortly after Jayden Daniels guided his Washington Commanders to an impressive 45-31 divisional-round playoff win at the top-seeded Detroit Lions this past weekend, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made it clear he’s never seen a rookie quarterback perform as Daniels has since Week 1 of the campaign.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio got two in-person looks at Daniels during the regular season and, thus, knows plenty about what the 24-year-old could do during the upcoming NFC Championship Game. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Fangio was asked if Daniels is the best rookie quarterback the 66-year-old has ever seen.
“Probably. Yeah,” Fangio responded, as shared by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
Daniels began his first NFL postseason as the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year and then produced arguably his best performances in Washington’s two must-win games. In the 23-20 wild-card playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 12, his ability to keep his cool and pick up a late first down with his legs allowed Washington to run the clock down and then kick a walk-off game-winning field goal. At Detroit’s Ford Field, Daniels passed for 299 yards with two touchdowns, rushed for 51 yards and turned the ball over zero times.
“He’s a young quarterback by birth certificate, not by tape,” Fangio added. “The guy is playing extremely well. You can tell how much they think he’s playing so good, because of their offense and things they trust him to do, and he has come through for them in a big way. He’s tough to handle.”
Fangio first became an NFL assistant coach back in 1986 and has been a head coach at the highest level, so he’s seen plenty of rookie signal-callers throughout his career. He seems to understand there’s no indication Daniels will hit a so-called “rookie wall” with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line this Sunday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Commanders as six-point road underdogs against the Eagles.
