Where does Commanders' Jayden Daniels land in the latest NFL QB ranking?

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' sophomore campaign hasn't quite gotten off to the start he or the team were likely hoping for.

It hasn't been his performance, but more so having to miss two games early on, that has been behind the slow start for the Commanders.

Sitting at 3-2, Washington suffered their first loss of the season against the Green Bay Packers with Daniels in the starting lineup. Daniels was then forced to miss two contests against the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons due to a sprained knee. The Commanders split the two games that Mariota started in his stead.

Luckily, Daniels' injury wasn't too serious, and we saw him bounce back in a big way, upsetting the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. It might not have been the most efficient day for Daniels, but the team got the win, and Daniels' performance helped earn him a spot back inside NFL.com's QB rankings, coming in as the 13th-best quarterback.

JD5 Back Amongst NFL's Elite

"Marcus Mariota did a solid job of keeping Jayden Daniels' seat warm, but replacing him is an almost impossible task. We saw why in Week 5, especially when Daniels lofted a dagger of a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel," wrote NFL.com's Nick Shook. "We still haven't seen the incredibly explosive version of Daniels that won Offensive Rookie of the Year yet, but he enjoyed a smooth return -- and can thank Jacory Croskey-Merritt (yes, I know his nickname is Bill) for chipping in an impressive 111-yard, two-touchdown day on the ground."

Daniels' positioning as the 13th-best quarterback in the league slates him behind New England Patriots' Drake Maye, Packers' Jordan Love, and Indianapolis Colts' Daniel Jones while beating out San Francisco 49ers' Mac Jones before getting into the next tier of QBs.

Daniels' outing against the Chargers saw him complete 57% of his passes for 231 yards and a touchdown with 0 interceptions, and added another 39 yards on the ground. The performance wasn't all that jaw-dropping, but the offense looked more fluid and efficient with Daniels behind center.

Daniels' numbers haven't been all that impressive through three games, completing just under 60% of his passes for 664 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 124 yards rushing. Still, he has plenty of room to continue to grow this season and get back to the form that saw him win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Daniels will have to do so with some makeshift pieces on offense until they get fully healthy, with Terry McLaurin hopefully set to return from injury soon, along with standout offensive lineman Sam Cosmi. The Commanders are in a solid position as they still sit above .500. Still, Daniels will have to continue playing at an elite level if they hope to create some space between themselves as contenders rather than pretenders.

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