Commanders RB recalls the moment he knew Jayden Daniels was special

Long before the end of the 2024 season, fans—and the league—began to realize just how special Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was.

But according to Commanders running back Austin Ekeler, he saw it as early as Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For Ekeler, that's when it slowly started to unfold just what kind of quarterback this franchise had. "I remember hearing defensive players talking to him after the game, just kind of praising his speed,"
Ekeler said on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) scrambles during the second quarter of 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

Ekeler recalled how impressed they were, saying players were telling Daniels, "Dang, you're fast, man."

Fast, Daniels was. He rushed 19 times in his debut as a rookie quarterback.

"First game, not running to throw, but running to run. Kind of like college," Ekeler said. "We've seen him make some end-of-game plays—game-winner against Atlanta, basically the Eagles, the Bears. Shoot, the list goes on," he said. "Even in the playoffs, going down and winning that Bucs game."

"He learned, okay, it's fine to run—but let me also keep my eyes down the field," Ekeler said. "Because you can hit some of your playmakers while you're running the ball." That awareness began to show up quickly. "Really, going into Week 2 and Week 3, you started to see him learning the pro game a little more," he said.

According to Ekeler, Daniels' mindset shifted—from "let me run to run" to "let me run to throw."

"And then that progression really set him up," Ekeler continued. "You started to see, okay, a really talented young player who makes good decisions and can also create for himself."

He pointed to one early play that showed Daniels' growth.

"I forgot what week it was—maybe Week 2 or 3—but he scrambles, breaks a tackle in the backfield, launches it down to Terry [McLaurin] for like a 70-yard gain," Ekeler said. "I think that was the moment like, okay, this guy is real. So it didn't take very long to know we had something special in Jayden."

Ekeler also praised Daniels' ability to show up in big moments.

"He's definitely been clutch," Ekeler said. "And the rest of the guys have to help him out too. You have to show up in the clutch as well.

"Our team has been awesome in those moments. And Jayden—obviously he's got the ball in his hands first—he's got to keep it alive and give us a chance. He's been able to do that several times."

Now, Daniels has to prove his rookie year isn't a fluke.

"He's clutch. And now it's our job to show the world, hey, it's not a fluke. This guy's real," Ekeler said. "Now it's, 'Can you do it again?' That's what people want to know. I'm looking forward to this year."

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