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We are running out of superlatives for Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. But after five weeks, Daniels’ start to his career as put him in rarefied rare: a rookie who is an MVP candidate.
The betting odds for Daniels as league MVP made a massive leap to +1000 from +3800 ahead of the Commanders’ Week 6 “Battle of the Beltway” against the Baltimore Ravens and 2-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
“It only took until Week 6 (and four-straight wins by the Washington Commanders) for oddsmakers to buy into the hype and enthusiasm now surrounding Daniels’ impressive start to his rookie season,” wrote USA Today’s Mark Giannotto on October 10. “The Heisman Trophy winner jumped up the rankings this week, seeing his odds improve to top-5 levels after throwing for 238 yards and a touchdown and running for 82 yards in Washington’s 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. He currently leads the NFL in completion percentage (77.1%) and suddenly looks like a dark horse MVP candidate.”
The Commanders are arguably the NFL’s hottest team after 4 consecutive wins behind Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
No rookie has won MVP honors since Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown in 1957.
NFL Megastars Dot MVP Odds List Ahead of Daniels
Daniels’ +1000 MVP odds put him fifth, behind some of the biggest names in the game, including former MVPs Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Jackson, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Daniels is no stranger to postseason honors. He won the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023 after he put up a mind-boggling 4,946 yards of total offense and 50 total touchdowns, including 1,134 rushing yards. Daniels won NFC Offensive Rookie of the Month honors in September.
According to one writer, Daniels has the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors “locked up” already.
“Nobody is catching Jayden Daniels for this award — not with the hot start he’s jumped out to,” NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha wrote on October 7. “Even the most optimistic Commanders fan couldn’t have predicted this team would be sitting at 4-1 and in first place in the NFC East at this stage or that Daniels would be operating like the league’s next superstar.”
Commanders Need to Capitalize on Momentum
One thing the Commanders can do to capitalize on the momentum from their hot start is to add another offensive weapon for Daniels — mainly in the form of another elite wide receiver to play alongside veteran Terry McLaurin.
The closer the Commanders can get to the November 5 NFL trade deadline without collapsing, the more likely it is they become buyers. There are some star wide receivers that might be out there as well.
While Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams continues to be the most buzzed-about player available for a trade, the Commanders might be wise to invest in the future by making a trade for a younger player — Adams is still elite but will turn 32 years old in December.
One player who would make a big splash with a trade-and-sign for the Commanders would be Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is a No. 1 wide receiver on most teams but finds himself on the same roster as superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is waiting for his own massive contract.
The Commanders could theoretically give up an early-round pick — second or third round — in exchange for getting Higgins on the roster along with granting him a contract extension.
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