The Future's So Bright
By James Estepp
While it may not have ended the way Commanders fans wanted, there is no longer the feeling of dread that the off-season has brought about much of the last three decades, as this year’s team equaled the number of playoff wins of the past 25 years combined.
Jayden Daniels was the second player selected in the 2024 draft, behind another Heisman Trophy winner, Prince George’s County’s own Caleb Williams. It would be hard to imagine Williams is still the county’s favorite NFL quarterback.
Commanders fans often hear of the guy who plays quarterback up I-95, the one with multiple league MVP wins. Jayden Daniels just performed a feat the MVP has never achieved; winning consecutive playoff games.
Daniels suffered the same fate as the previous five rookie quarterbacks playing in a conference championship game, falling to a superior opponent. This is not a story of defeat, though, but one of hope for a very bright future.
Two of those five rookies, Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco, ended up winning Super Bowls later in their careers, and Roethlisberger was, like Daniels will be, the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
It could easily be argued that Daniels, a perennial winner at LSU, is already superior to the other rookies who advanced this far. Rookies Roethlisberger and Flacco each threw three interceptions under the brightest of lights, one game shy of the big one, in their championship debuts.
In the biggest of moments, Daniels was poised, unflappable, and an undeniable star, as a man made for the biggest of stages. He led the team like a 10-year veteran, continually facing down the challenges of a veteran-laced Eagles team, many of whom played for a Super Bowl just two seasons ago.
In the end, the team around him made too many mistakes to overcome, but this end is just the beginning.
Imagine you’re going to be a free agent, and you have multiple teams to choose from, and money is no object. Is there a better option at this point than joining Daniels and an up and coming Washington team that sits $90 million under the salary cap as they look at the 2025 Draft and season?
This can be where dynasties are made, again.
In the words of one-hit wonder Timbuk 3, The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.
