What Jayden Daniels did that drove Brian Kelly crazy

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels drove Brian Kelly crazy during college.

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after winning a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are coming up on a massive matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game to potentially earn a Super Bowl bid.

Evidently, the Commanders' season has been remarkable. Just last season, they went 4-13. This year? They went 12-5 for their best record since 1991 before winning their first playoff game since 2005. Now, they're set to play in the NFC title game for the first time since 1992.

At the helm of the offense is rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was the No. 2 overall selection out of LSU after winning the Heisman Trophy during his final season of college football. Needless to say, Daniels has been absurd as a rookie.

However, there is one key aspect of Daniels' game that drove LSU head coach Brian Kelly crazy during his time in Baton Rouge, which was recently revealed by Todd McShay in a recent episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast."

“So the first play of the game comes, and of course I’m on the sideline peaking over, and it’s a deep comeback route to the left side. And he gets back to the top of his drop and just rips it. And if it gets picked it’s a pick-six, and at that point he hadn’t thrown an interception,” McShay said. “And everyone in the local media was, ‘Oh, this Jayden Daniels is great. He hasn’t thrown an interception through five games. How good has he been?’ 

“And Brian’s point was, ‘I can’t wait for him to throw an interception. It’s driving me f****** crazy that the media is talking about the interception thing. But the reason he’s not trusting is he’s so concerned about throwing a pick.'”

For Daniels, letting loose after losing the fear of throwing the interception played a pivotal role in the signal-caller boosting his confidence and growing as a quarterback. Now, the rookie has a chance to lead the Commanders to a Super Bowl appearance.

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READ MORE: Jason Kelce walks back Jayden Daniels-Jalen Hurts debate before NFC Championship

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