SEATTLE — It is far too premature to question whether the Bears should have drafted Jayden Daniels over Caleb Williams. Far too early to liken it to the Panthers choosing Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud.
But former Washington Super Bowl quarterback Joe Theismann fully understands why Jaydenmania is raging in and around the nation’s capital.
“I didn’t think there was any other choice. Even if Caleb’s was there, I still think it would have been Jayden,” Theismann told Serby Says.”If you think of [offensive coordinator] Kliff Kingsbury, think of Kyler Murray a little bit — with his athleticism, with his ability to throw the football, Kyler went on to be Rookie of the Year — I think Jayden’s talents fit what Kliff wants to do as an offensive coach. More so than Caleb did.”
Daniels’ No. 5 jersey this past week was the best-selling one at Fanatics.
”And it should be,” Theismann said. “What he’s doing is unprecedented. I can’t ever recall anybody operating at this kind of a level.”
Daniels, the Offensive Player of the Month, has been heaven sent to a franchise that has been starving for a face of the franchise since Robert Griffin III’s Offensive Rookie of the Year season, and demoralized by the toxic end of Daniel Snyder’s ownership reign.
“You could list 10 things that you want out of a quarterback, he checks every box right now,” Theismann said. “No. 1, knowing where to go with the football. Processing and reading the defense, which he’s still in the development of. And this is where Kliff helps him out, where he gets the ball out of his hands where he doesn’t have to stand back there and survey the field. So 1 would be understanding the offense
“Obviously 2 would be his accuracy. [No.] 3 would be the velocity of the ball. Four would be his ability to recognize pressure and escape. Five would be to protect himself, which everybody’s harped about when he gets out running into space.
“His work ethic is another aspect of it, that would be the sixth part … maybe it wasn’t 10, maybe it’s six or seven.
“The way he conducts himself is another way. The way he practices is another way.”
There is no way Daniels can keep on completing 82.1 percent of his passes.
“We haven’t seen Jayden have to deal with adversity yet,” Theismann said. “He’s operating in a stratosphere that nobody has operated in before. But it’s just a sample size. We know what the NFL can and will look like. How’s weather going to affect his performance? In the Giant game, for example, you didn’t get the ball in the end zone, wasn’t your fault, but you kept making the right kind of plays to keep your team in the game. … There’s another element of it. I used to have a sign in my locker that I used to read before I went out, and it was real simple: You never have to be the reason the team wins. You just can’t be the reason it loses. And that applies mentally and physically.”
Theismann expects Daniels (three passing touchdowns, one interception) to check that adversity box.
“I expect him to have the same demeanor. I expect him to not get flustered,” Theismann said.
Daniels looks born for the moment and the stage.
“There’s definitely a swagger with him,” Commanders guard Sam Cosmi told Serby Says. “He’s not a ‘me’ guy at all, which I love. Being the second pick in the draft, and playing how well he’s playing, none of that has shown. He’s really humble, really down to earth when it comes to just being him. Yeah, he definitely has a swagger about himself.”
Daniels is more of a dual threat than RG3 was in 2012 before a devastating knee injury knee-capped his career in Washington.
”I think Jayden is a better natural thrower than Robert,” Theismann said. “I thought Robert still was continuing to develop his skills to be able to throw the football. … Jayden is less of a take-off-and-run guy than Robert was. The ability to be able to escape the pocket and be able to find people down the field, Robert never really had a chance to totally develop that aspect of it. This is the thing you hope Jayden will continue to do.”
Daniels is beginning to develop a chemistry with top receiver Terry McLaurin. His 27-yard touchdown pass to McLaurin against the Bengals was a dime.
“That completion percentage doesn’t come from a lot of 4-, 5-, 6-yard passes,” Theismann said. “He’s throwing the ball down the field (8.5-yard average). It isn’t like at the end of a game he’s got 110 yards passing, and he’s completed 82 percent of his passes.”
Some wonder whether Daniels (46 rushes, 218 yards, four rushing TDs) at a wiry 6-foot-4, 210 pounds can take a kicking and keep on ticking.
“Early on he took some hits,” Theismann said. “He ran and slid once, and he started smiling. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘I think this is what he might be thinking. He might be thinking: OK, all you people that keep on yelling at me to slide and get out of bounds, look, I’ve done it (laugh). So leave me alone. I got it.’ ’’
He is a natural. He leads by example.
“He’s super calm, collected,” Cosmi said. “There’s no sense of nervousness or anything like that. It’s been really nice to have that confidence and that leadership in the huddle.”
Cosmi mentioned all the burgundy and gold in the crowd at Arizona last week when Daniels dominated the Cardinals in a 42-14 win.
“As a team we’re rallying around him,” Cosmi said. “He’s quote-unquote ‘the commander of the offense,’ and it’s really cool to see that and see what he’s doing for everybody in our fan base.”
Daniels plays with an unmistakable joy.
“I talked to him last week briefly in the locker room,” Theismann said. “And he said, ‘You know, just having fun.’ He genuinely is having fun. You can see it in his demeanor. You can see it in the way he operates as far as preparation goes.’
Sauce Gardner knew Daniels was legit during the Jets’ joint practice with the Commanders in training camp.
“He was very confident,” Sauce told Serby Says. “That’s how I came in, I was confident. So he just had the mentality like he’d be in the league for more than just this year. Confident in his arm, you know? I already told him he was going to be special. I’m not surprised. That’s what’s expected.”
The franchise’s frustrating search for a franchise quarterback appears to have ended.
“Since I got hurt in ’85, there have been 44 different starting quarterbacks,” Theismann said. “And the fan base has basically been starved for what would be the face of a franchise.”
The 3-1 Commanders, who host the Browns on Sunday, should not be dismissed as a contender for the NFC East crown.
“He’s brought an excitement around the city,” receiver Olamide Zaccheaus told Serby Says. “It’s been fun to be a part of. It’s just going to continue to grow as we continue to get better.”
Could success spoil the former LSU Heisman Trophy winner?
“Somebody said to me, ‘Well, how do you think he’s going to handle all this notoriety and everything?’ ” Theismann said. “And I said, ‘I have one word for you: Heisman.’ He’s been down that road.”
Team owner Josh Harris and limited partner Magic Johnson should thank the football gods for Jayden Daniels.
“They couldn’t have dreamed it to be any better,” Theismann said.
The kid has even entered the league MVP conversation. A dream come true for a franchise that desperately needed one.
