Star Black quarterbacks no longer are the exception – they’re the rule. Throughout the football season, this series will explore the prominence and impact of Black quarterbacks from the grassroots level to the NFL.
Not one for hyperbole, Washington franchise legend Doug Williams chose his words carefully.
After more than 46 years in the NFL, Williams has seen enough to know that one great game does not a Pro Football Hall of Fame career make. That established, Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has gotten Williams’ attention.
“When you draft a quarterback as high as we did, you gotta be happy about what you’ve seen so far,” Williams told Andscape on Tuesday. “But really, with some of what he’s doing … I’m still trying to figure out how all of this happened. And the other night, you just don’t see that from a young guy.”
Following his breakout performance in a 38-33 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, Daniels is both the talk of the league and the (very) early favorite for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. After delivering a series of soul-crushing blows to the Bengals in prime time, how could he not be atop the list?
By completing 91.3% of his passes – he failed to connect with Washington’s receivers only twice in 23 attempts – Daniels set an NFL rookie record en route to being selected as the NFC offensive player of the week. He also had 254 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and another touchdown rushing while continuing to display outstanding pocket presence and elite elusiveness as a runner.
In only his third career start, Daniels led Washington to scores on all six of its possessions (excluding kneel-downs). The Commanders have not punted since Week 1, and they haven’t committed a turnover this season. Add it all up, and it’s not surprising that the team is off to a 2-1 start.
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The Commanders and their long-suffering fans have waited anxiously for a franchise passer to lead them out of the NFL’s desert. Although Williams isn’t ready to anoint Daniels as the Commanders’ savior, he said Daniels appears quite capable of being the right man for the job.
“We have a rookie quarterback starting, a rookie, and we haven’t punted the ball in two weeks. Two. Weeks,” said Williams, a Commanders senior adviser. “[Monday] night was really something. The last two games, with no punts, you don’t expect that. But really, all three games, you can’t ask for more from a rookie so far.”
Entering Week 3, Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, was already off to the best start among the six signal-callers who were chosen in the first round, which tied a record set in 1983. Now, there’s a canyon-sized gap between Daniels and the rest of the pack: With a sparkling mark of 80.3%, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner leads the NFL in completion percentage.
With the Arizona Cardinals scheduled to host the Commanders in Week 4, Washington’s chartered flight headed straight to Phoenix after the team’s victory over Cincinnati. The next morning, Williams awaked eager to review the game film.
After finishing it, Williams had even more reason to smile.
“Even if he missed one or two guys here or there, he makes up for it with a positive run or something like that,” Williams said. “Every time they scored, we scored. He was always able to answer the bell. And watching this guy, he just never gets rattled.
“The thing you really notice about him is that he’s in control the whole time. He’s never in a hurry. For a rookie, that’s kind of unheard of. Again, you just don’t see rookies have that type of composure, especially [after only three starts]. Believe me, I know.”
Williams’ iconic, myth-busting Super Bowl performance occurred when he led Washington to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII in 1988. Williams became the first Black passer to start in the Super Bowl and win the game’s MVP award.
Although Williams wasn’t drafted by the Commanders and started only 14 games for the franchise over four seasons, all Black quarterbacks who play for the team do so in his shadow. The club also drafted Jason Campbell (2005, 25th overall), Robert Griffin III (2012, No. 2 overall) and Dwayne Haskins (2019, No. 15 overall) in the first round.
Williams understands that among Washington’s fans, there will be no tempering of expectations now. That’s not realistic after Daniels’ first signature performance, “but he’s still gonna have ups and downs,” Williams cautioned. “He’s still gonna go through some things. You don’t put him straight in the Hall of Fame after Monday night.
“What you also understand is the job he’s doing. You’re gonna be hard-pressed to ever see a rookie quarterback doing what he’s doing after only three games. And the things he’s doing, he’s doing it because of the person he is. No matter what, he’s the same guy every day. He’s cool. He’s selective. That’s what I’m going to say about that.”
Enough said. For Washington, Daniels is doing the damn thing. And Williams is here for it.