2-time Super Bowl champion reveals strong thoughts on Jayden Daniels

The pendulum is starting to swing in a good direction for the Washington Commanders for once.

In a conversation with Adam Schefter on ESPN, former NFL player and analyst Booger McFarland talked about how much second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels could grow in 2025. He said what everyone has been saying—and what’s apparently an old saying—“You make your biggest jump from year one to year two.”

The reason for that jump, according to McFarland, is the pace of the game. “The game slows down, you know what to expect, and how to handle things better,” McFarland said. “And this kid had a 71 QBR as a rookie. So the sky’s the ceiling this year.”

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws during the second quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As a rookie, Daniels impressed people with how calm, cool, and collected he was—something rare when first entering the NFL. Now, with a year under his belt, Daniels has more understanding of the game, which will help him take things to a new level, according to McFarland. And Commanders fans can’t help but get excited.

“Everything in Washington is in place, and now the enthusiasm and the excitement is starting to build there because they know, as long as he stays healthy and everybody around him does their part, he makes that next jump—we’re not just talking about a team that can get into the playoffs. You’re talking about a team that could have one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League,” McFarland said.

Looking at Daniels’ growth makes McFarland excited because it reminds him of what going into his second year was like.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) scrambles during the first quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“I’m excited to watch it, because I know how it was for me—my rookie year to my second year, it was like reading English to Chinese, like I understood it. I didn’t have to get a translator. I knew exactly what was going on, and I can’t wait to watch this young man.”

And if Daniels makes the leap like expected, McFarland believes Washington is more than just a playoff team—they’ll have a real shot at a Super Bowl.

It’s a moment no one would’ve predicted just a couple years ago, but as Schefter put it: “Washington is looking like a model NFL franchise.”