Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the Washington Commanders have to feel good about where they are at regarding their offense—especially when it comes to Jayden Daniels and the quarterback position.
Last year, the Commanders invested a major asset in Daniels. With the second-overall pick, the LSU star was sent to Washington. Going that high on a quarterback in the draft meant the Commanders had to get Daniels ready to perform and become the face of the franchise as quickly as possible.
With one year in the books, Daniels has gained recognition as a top quarterback in the game. And in the eyes of Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, Daniels is the league’s most underpaid quarterback.
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This has to feel like an obvious statement after seeing the rookie put together a season that not many veterans could match in 2024.
In 17 games, Daniels led the Commanders to a 12-5 record. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns. He threw just nine interceptions.
Also, being on the versatile side, Daniels kept the ball on the ground for 148 rushing attempts. He put up starting running back numbers with 891 yards and six touchdowns. With the team success, and the personal stardom, Daniels was easily the choice for the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Since he was a Pro Bowler, and even had an argument to be in the MVP conversation, Daniels is undoubtedly on a valuable contract for the Commanders. He’s one of the highest-paid players on his rookie deal, since he was selected so high, but Washington won’t have to give him a record-setting deal for a bit, leaving them with a superstar on a team-friendly deal.
“Despite this status, his locked-in rookie deal means he’s only ranked No. 27 at his position in terms of average annual value, well behind some players who have made far less impact in recent years such as Daniel Jones ($14 million AAV), Justin Fields ($20 million AAV) and Deshaun Watson ($46 million AAV),” Alex Kay wrote.
“The Commanders have already begun to capitalize on this affordable deal, which runs through the 2028 season, by loading up on veterans such as Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to make another run. It’s shrewd maneuvering by general manager Adam Peters, who knows he must take advantage of the small window the club has before Daniels goes on to earn what could be a record-setting contract extension well above the $60 million AAV deal Dak Prescott is on.”
Daniels has a four-year contract, which is worth a total of around $37.7 million, according to Spotrac. In 2025, he’ll play on a $2.5 million salary, taking up just $8 million on the cap sheet. To compare, Dak Prescott’s cap hit is set at $50 million, while Jalen Hurts’ is at $21 million.
The pressure gets heavier for Daniels heading into his sophomore season, but the Commanders are quite confident in what he brings to the table. They made plenty of moves to go title-hunting in 2025. If they can take care of business before paying Daniels the big bucks, this early run will be a major success.
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