The Washington Commanders had one of their most successful years in decades this past season with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels at the helm, so it might not come as a major shock to hear that he’s taken home some hardware from the NFL Honors ceremony as the Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY).
How Jayden Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year
While Jayden Daniels was previously named Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA), the legacy of his history season has officially been set in stone at the NFL Honors ceremony where he was officially named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Daniels received 49 out of 50 first-place votes for the award; the only other vote went to Brock Bowers, the rookie tight end of the Las Vegas Raiders.
While the vote disparity between first and second place wasn’t close, this generated some controversy. Brock Bowers set some NFL records himself, having one of the best rookie tight end seasons ever.
That said, Jayden Daniels also set his fair share of records, and given that quarterback is the most important position in the sport, we’re not shocked about this result (we promise we’re not biased at all).
Records that Jayden Daniels broke in his rookie season
Franchise records broken by Jayden Daniels –
- Passing Yards by a Rookie QB:
- Record: 3,568 yards.
- Previous Record: 2,734 yards by Robert Griffin III (2012).
- Passing Touchdowns by a Rookie QB:
- Record: 25 touchdowns.
- Previous Record: 20 touchdowns by Robert Griffin III (2012).
- Most Rushing Yards by a QB in a Single Season:
- Record: 891 yards.
- Previous Record: 815 yards by Robert Griffin III (2012).
- Total Touchdowns by a QB in a Single Season (Passing + Rushing):
- Record: 31 touchdowns (25 passing, 6 rushing).
- Previous Record: 27 touchdowns by Sonny Jurgensen (1967).
- Fourth-Quarter Touchdown Passes in a Single Season:
- Record: 12 touchdowns.
- Previous Record: 9 touchdowns by Kirk Cousins (2015).
- Game-Winning Drives in a Season:
- Record: 5.
- Previous Record: 4, achieved by multiple quarterbacks.
- Most Total Yards in a Single Season by a Rookie QB:
- Record: 4,459 yards (3,568 passing, 891 rushing).
- Previous Record: 3,447 yards by Robert Griffin III (2012).
NFL records broken by Jayden Daniels –
- Touchdown Passes in the Fourth Quarter/Overtime by a Rookie:
- Record: 12 touchdowns.
- Previous Record: 9 by Justin Herbert (2020).
- Touchdown Passes in the Final 30 Seconds of Regulation or Overtime:
- Record: 5.
- Previous Record: 3, set by several quarterbacks.
- Most Rushing Yards by a Rookie QB in the NFC:
- Record: 891 yards.
- Previous Record: 815 yards by Robert Griffin III (2012).
- Clutch Passer Rating (Fourth Quarter/Overtime):
- Record: 138.6 passer rating in clutch situations.
- Previous Record: No rookie has ever surpassed a 130.0 passer rating in these ‘clutch’ scenarios.
- Dual-Threat Efficiency (Passing + Rushing):
- Record: First rookie QB in NFL history to post 3,500+ passing yards and 800+ rushing yards in a single season.
- Third-Down Conversion Rate in Clutch Situations (Rookie QBs):
- Record: 67% success rate.
- Previous Record: No rookie QB since 2000 had surpassed 60%.
- Playoff Wins by a Rookie QB for the Commanders:
- Record: Two wins (first rookie QB in franchise history to have one).
- Combined Offensive Yards in a Rookie Season (Rookie QB):
- Record: 4,459 total yards.
- Previous Record: 4,336 yards by Justin Herbert (2020).
What does this mean for the Washington Commanders?
Jayden Daniels is now officially considered the best young offensive player in the NFL!
Plus, given the complete turnaround the franchise has had over the last year, Washington fans have so much to be excited about!
The Commanders are now an attractive destination for free agents looking for a new team with Super Bowl aspirations, so there’s a good chance our roster gets even better this offseason.