It's the season of giving, and now that Jayden Daniels has helped the Washington Commanders give the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss since Week 4, he's decided to keep the spirit going by giving his offensive linemen a special Christmas treat.
It's a common tradition for starting quarterbacks to provide the players protecting them with some extra appreciation for the holidays. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gave his offensive linemen authentic katana swords. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took a different route by giving his offensive linemen gift packages that include Rolex watches and Yeti coolers.
Daniels wants his offensive linemen to get around in style, so he got them all electric scooters. Why?
"So they don't have to walk around as much," Daniels told reporters after Tuesday's walkthrough.
Daniels has put together one of the best seasons for a rookie, both in terms of franchise history and the league as a whole. He surpassed Robert Griffin III for the rookie single-season passing yards record; he has recorded 4,040 combined yards (passing and rushing) and has set a new franchise single season record for combined yards by a rookie quarterback, passing Robert Griffin III (4,015); and he joins Griffin and Deshaun Watson as the only quarterbacks to throw for 4-plus touchdowns and rush for 65-plus yards in a game during their rookie seasons among several other accolades.
Daniels has his offensive line to thank for that, particularly when it comes to his most recent performance against the Eagles. Philadelphia, which entered the weekend ranked ninth in sacks, only brought Daniels down one time. Daniels used the clean pocket to throw five touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Jamison Crowder with six seconds left in the fourth quarter.
"[Offensive Line Coach] Bobby [Johnson] has those guys prepared and ready to go no matter what," Daniels said Nov. 12. "So, and they're all pros in there. They all take their job very seriously and they're all prepared. So, no matter who's in there, I know they're going to be prepared to go out there and play."
Washington's offensive line has shown solid improvement from last season, when they allowed some of the most sacks in the NFL. The team currently ranks 19th in total sacks allowed, but Pro Football Focus only credits the group with 14. ESPN also ranks the group as eighth in pass-block win rate and first in run-block win rate.
Because of their success, Daniels has been able to lead the Commanders to their first 10-win season since 2012 and put the team in position to get their first postseason berth since 2020. While the entire team is responsible for making such dramatic strides in head coach Dan Quinn's first season, the offensive line has the important job of making sure the franchise's future stays upright.
No one knows that more than Daniels himself, so it's a smart move to keep reminding them of how thankful he is to have them around.