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Jayden Daniels for MVP? Hail Mary winner ignites rookie QB’s campaign

Sydney Hunte

By Sydney Hunte

Published:

Jayden Daniels’ remarkable rookie season delivered a signature moment during Week 8, as his Hail Mary pass to Noah Brown with no time remaining lifted the Washington Commanders to a stunning 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

In a battle between Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Caleb Williams, the top selection, Daniels was 21-of-38 for 326 yards while breaking off 8 carries for 52 yards. But his lone touchdown of the day — a tipped ball that found Brown in the endzone — was the difference in an otherwise slow offensive afternoon for both teams and came after the Bears, who had been shut out through almost 3 quarters, had taken their first lead of the game with 23 seconds to go.

Daniels’ play at quarterback has boosted the Commanders, a franchise that hasn’t been to the Playoffs since 2020 and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005. And the former LSU star has fans dreaming of long-awaited playoff success; Washington is 6-2 and on top of the NFC East.

As for Daniels, he has firmly entrenched himself as the favorite to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Could he be entering the MVP race, though? Joe Theismann was the franchise’s last MVP winner in 1983, and at this rate, Daniels could be in that conversation. His odds on FanDuel before the game were +3400, but maybe those will improve after the win.

Immediately after the win, there was plenty of love for Daniels as a legitimate MVP candidate on social media:

https://twitter.com/SheAintJanae/status/1850685113463394503

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.

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