Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn were named as finalists for the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has put together a rookie season unlike any other in NFL history by leading his team to a 12-5 regular season finish. He has the Commanders in their first NFC Championship since 1991. He's already earned multiple accolades this season, including the Offensive Rookie of the Year award from the Pro Football Writers of America.
He wrapped up his 2024 season by completing 69% of his passes for 3,568 yards, which shattered the previous single-season record held by Robert Griffin III, with 25 touchdowns compared to just nine interceptions. Daniels also added 891 rushing yards on 148 attempts, which led his team and set the rookie record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.
"He's got rare, in-the-moment skills that have allowed us to be into this spot," Quinn said. "When it's mental chaos going down and two-minutes, in these tight moments where it could feel that tight, he's got the experience of somebody that's played a lot more football than a first-year player."
Daniels paced his fellow rookie quarterbacks in the regular season, but his stats stand out for more than that. He ranked fifth in completion rate among all quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts and fourth in QBR.
Daniels is best in the most significant moments and when his team needs him the most. He threw a touchdown pass in the final 30 seconds of five games this season -- a feat never accomplished by any other quarterback. Washington's last four games of the regular season were all decided by less than seven points, and Daniels had a hand in most of them to secure Washington's spot in the postseason.
Perhaps his most impressive feat came in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, whom the Commanders will face in the NFC Championship. He overcame five turnovers from his team and threw five passing touchdowns to overcome a 21-7 deficit. Washington won the game in the final six seconds with a touchdown pass from Daniels to Jamison Crowder.
"He can process it really quickly and be on to the next play," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said of Daniels. "He's not leery of himself. He wants to be perfect. He wants to play great. He wants to win every rep, but once the play's over, he's on to the next one really quickly, and that's not easy to do as a young player or an established player, even in this league."
Quinn, hired by the Commanders last February, turned a Commanders team that was 4-13 in 2023 into a championship contender in his first season. In one of the most drastic turnarounds in recent memory, the Commanders are 14-5, including the playoff wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, and one game away from competing in their first Super Bowl in over three decades.
Quinn has injected a culture built on competition, brotherhood, teamwork and accountability. Players hold each other accountable and strive to improve each day. He brought in veterans like Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler to lead a young, talented team. While there is still work to be done on the roster, the players' belief in each other propelled the Burgundy & Gold to its first winning season in almost a decade. The Commanders also notched double-digit wins for the first time since 2012.
Quinn constructed a coaching staff mixed with people from his past and people whose skills he appreciated from afar. As a result, the Commanders drastically upgraded their production on both sides of the ball. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. turned a unit that was last in yards allowed into one that looks to be physical on every play. They finished the regular season 13th in yards allowed and third in passing yards allowed per game.
On offense, Kingsbury has turned the Commanders into one of the most explosive units in football. They finished in the top 10 of several categories, including total yards per game, rushing yards per game, points and third-down conversion rate.
"We just don't let the outside narrative kind of drive it," Quinn said. "And internally, we've got a lot of expectations about how we can play and what we do, but we never went too far outside of things. Did we feel dismissed or put off? Yeah, of course some; I think that happened in the opening game. I felt dismissive. 'Hey man, hang in there; it's going to be a long time.' I was like, 'Hey f-you, that's not how it's going to go down.'"
Rounding out the finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year are Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
For Coach of the Year, Quinn is joined by Kevin O'Connell, Sean Payton, Dan Campbell and Andy Reid.
The winners will be announced at the 14th annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 6, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET on FOX and NFL Network and stream on NFL+.
