One year ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone willing to sell their stock in Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who seemed like the prize jewel of the record-setting 2024 draft class.
Heading into the 2026 season, Daniels is mostly being traded in the penny stocks these days, and even that’s a hard sell.
Once considered the very best of the 6 quarterbacks selected in the 1st round in 2024, Daniels now finds himself looking up at Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix — even after Nix’s fractured ankle — and just ahead of 2 quarterbacks who probably won’t even start for their teams this season in J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport is sticking with the “sell, sell, sell” position with Daniels and predicts he’ll end the 2026 season like he ended the 2025 season — on the sideline.
“Jayden Daniels’ first two seasons have been polar opposites,” Davenport wrote on June 27. “The first was outstanding — over 3,500 passing yards, 25 passing scores, the second-most rushing yards among quarterbacks in the league (891). Last year, however, was far different. Daniels’ per-game passing numbers fell precipitously just about across the board and Daniels played in just seven games due to knee and elbow injuries. Frankly, Daniels’ downturn in passing efficiency and the lack of a big-time additions to the Washington passing game may be the biggest concerns of all with the youngster this year. Daniels averaged almost 30 fewer passing yards per game last year compared to 2024. If that’s the case, there will be that much more pressure on Daniels to do damage with his legs. And it could be just a matter of time before he lands on the shelf again.”
Massive Payday Might Not Hit for Jayden Daniels
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti put out a list of the projected “Next Man Up” contracts at every NFL position — meaning the next contracts to reset the market at every position.
After 2024, it was impossible to think Daniels would be left off the list. Now, it’s Maye and Williams who are getting the elite-level predictions — contracts that could pay them around $65 million per year. Maye was just the NFL MVP runner-up and led his team to the Super Bowl. Williams put the Bears on his back and lifted them to an NFC North Division title and the NFC Divisional Round.
While Daniels could very well play his way back into a market-setting contract, it doesn’t look good. The Commanders are no longer an attractive destination for free agents — mainly because head coach Dan Quinn enters his 3rd season firmly on the hot seat — and are coming off a 5-12 season.
Daniels’ Focus Should Be On Winning Games
There’s a good chance, even if Daniels tanks again in 2026, he still ends up with a contract extension from the Commanders — not just the gold-plated deals both he and Williams could land if their teams perform well.
“Like Williams, Daniels becomes eligible for a new deal after the 2026 regular season,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on June 14. “His main goal should be to reestablish himself after a disappointing and injury-plagued second season, during which he played only seven of 17 games. If Daniels returns to his rookie form, he’ll be joining Williams as a quarterback looking for a second contract.”
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Hit With Troubling New Prediction