ESPN’s Louis Riddick played in the NFL and spent several years working in NFL front offices, including Washington. Riddick is now one of the most respected voices in the media regarding the NFL.
Riddick is a big believer in Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. In a recent appearance on NFL Live, Riddick continued to heap praise on the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner.
“It’s hard not to get super excited about Jayden Daniels,” Riddick said. “And I think everyone knows how I feel about him. He accepted the challenge at LSU, mastered it, and became the Heisman Trophy winner. He’s going to accept the challenge now, playing on a football team where 3/5 of the offensive line is going to be new. They have one of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson is a playmaker in his own right, they drafted Ben Sinnott out of Kansas State, who’s a fantastic athlete at tight end and they got Austin Ekeler.”
Riddick then discussed what to expect this upcoming season.
“You’ve seen some of the clips that the Commanders have put out there, in terms of some of the throws that he has made during OTAs, and it’s spectacular,” he said. “And I’ve had correspondence with people down there who have said, ‘Look, very rarely does the ball hit the ground.’ He puts the ball exactly where it needs to be put. He can throw with touch, he can throw with velocity, he is a student of the game. And he is someone, most importantly, that the players will gravitate towards already. They want to be around him. They want to be accountable to him. They want to do better for him. That’s pretty damn cool. He is going to take that town by storm as everything else around him grows with him. I have 100% confidence in that.”
Washington’s coaching staff and front office clearly agree with Riddick. Can Daniels get off to the same fast start that Robert Griffin III did in 2012? If he can, the Commanders will be one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2024.
