People may have noticed, but Jayden Daniels' awards are starting to pile up.
There's no other way to say it: Daniels has set the league on fire to start the 2024 season. His poise in the pocket, plus the blend of how he can hurt defenses with his arm and legs, has led to record-setting performances and corresponding accolades. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for leading the league with an 82.1 completion percentage, ranking third in passer rating (107.4) and becoming the first player in league history to record consecutive games with an 85% or higher completion percentage.
Oh, and he was named the Nickelodeon "NVP" in Week 4.
Now, Daniels has been named the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week...again. It's the third consecutive week and fourth time in five games that he's received the honor, this time for recording 320 total yards and a touchdown in the Washington Commanders' 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns.
All those awards are evidence of just how special Daniels' rookie season has become; what makes him special, though, is how he has reacted to all the attention.
"I don't get caught up in that stuff," Daniels said.
Daniels is not the first player to utter that kind of sentiment. It's an approach that many players say, but of course there are some who still end up paying attention to it. Daniels, however, has shown that he's one of the players who actually means it. Despite all the national attention, and there's been a lot of it, Daniels has continued to stay focused on his routine, which includes getting to the facility at 4 a.m., and helping the team win.
"I mean, thank God to be able to be in that position, be able to impact people's lives and stuff like that," Daniels said. "But man, the main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing, man. That's football."
Daniels' dedication to the team is why his teammates have come to love and respect him. The signs were there going back to OTAs, when tight end Zach Ertz commented on how clear it was that Daniels "really cared" because of how much he was putting in to be ready for his rookie season. Terry McLaurin also sees the effort, and Daniels constantly talks with him about how they can improve their chemistry on certain plays.
Frankie Luvu said that "I'll take my option with five [Daniels' jersey number] any day and with any team," and that's a belief that many of his teammates share.
"He's a competitor," Austin Ekeler said. "He is going to show us stuff all year that we're gonna be like, 'Wow, this kid is great,' because that's what he is. And the more opportunities he's going to get and the more opportunities he gets, the more he is going to show he's a competitor. [He's a] great leader out there."
The national media loves Daniels, too. After becoming the first player in NFL history to have 1,000-plus passing yards and 250-plus rushing yards in their first five career games, many have him as the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year and maybe even the Most Valuable Player.
Daniels said he doesn't let himself get too caught up in it.
"This game is very hard, so you got to appreciate the wins. Especially in this league, man, they're hard to come by, so you gotta be able to appreciate the win ... I've been like this win, lose or draw, 24-hour rule. Go out there, 24 hours, appreciate what happened or...get into your thoughts if you lost or either win or lost. But [you] go out there the next day, man, it's time to go to work. Move on to the next week."
What Daniels does appreciate is being able to celebrate the success he and the team has had with his teammates. When Daniels was named the "NVP," he got the chance to pour Nickelodeon slime on his offensive line, a group that he consistently calls out when asked about his stats. The smile etched across his face only widened when the offensive line returned the favor and poured the green ooze on him.
Pepsi sends a belt to whoever wins the Rookie of the Week award, so Daniels will soon get a fourth added to his collection. But you won't catch Daniels fawning over them alongside his other prizes. He'll probably be too busy working.
"Finding little ways to keep growing," Daniels said. "I wouldn't say it's a finished product, but it's just a start and, I mean, I don't really look at everything that people talk about. I mean, I see it, but other than that, man, none of that matters. That was last week's stuff. You're only as good as the last game you played and everybody going to look at what can you do the week prior and the weeks after that."
