Former Nfl Player Reveals How Jayden Daniels Can Avoid Sophomore Slump

Jayden Daniels started his NFL career with a bang, being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and leading the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. He started all 17 games, posting a 12-5 record, but will he go through a sophomore slump? Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a similar start in his rookie season but took a big step backward in Year 2. ESPN’s Sam Acho recently explained how Washington can prevent the same thing from happening to Daniels. Daniels was the No.

2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and immediately shook up the NFC East. Washington went from 4-13 in 2023 to 12 wins and a Wild Card berth in Daniels’ first season, with the rookie throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He proved his dual-threat ability, adding 891 rushing yards and six scores on the ground, and ranked No. 9 in PFSN’s QB+ metric. Defenses didn’t know how to handle the rookie, and Washington rode the wave to the NFC Championship Game. Stroud was also named Offensive Rookie of the Year after his first season leading the Texans to an AFC South title and the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

But what the Commanders and Daniels want to avoid is a drop-off similar to Stroud’s in Year 2. Jayden Daniels had a sensational rookie season when he unexpectedly led the Washington Commanders to a playoff berth and a trip to the NFC Championship Game, and fans are on cloud nine as far... However, it is entirely possible that Daniels will have a sophomore slump, just as C.J. Stroud did for the Houston Texans, especially now that opposing defensive coordinators will have a full season’s worth of video to use to prepare to play against him. One ESPN analyst said that self-analysis will be the key for Daniels to avoid that slump and build on what he did as a rookie. “For me, it’s gotta be up to Jayden Daniels, it’s gotta be up to (offensive coordinator) Kliff Kingsbury and the entire coaching staff to say, ‘Hey Jayden, I understand how excellent we were, but...

Stroud, we’re gonna work on some of those little things,'” Sam Acho said, via NFL on ESPN. "In order to not have that slump like we saw with C.J. Stroud, we're gonna work on some of those little things."@TheSamAcho on the Commanders preventing a Jayden Daniels sophomore slump 👀 pic.twitter.com/q4KEZalMVm Jayden Daniels had a sensational rookie season when he unexpectedly led the Washington Commanders to a playoff berth and a visit to the NFC Championship Recreation, and followers are on cloud 9 so far... Nonetheless, it’s solely doable that Daniels may have a sophomore hunch, simply as C.J. Stroud did for the Houston Texans, particularly now that opposing defensive coordinators may have a full season’s value of video to make use of to organize to play in opposition to him.

One ESPN analyst stated that self-analysis would be the key for Daniels to keep away from that hunch and construct on what he did as a rookie. “For me, it’s gotta be as much as Jayden Daniels, it’s gotta be as much as (offensive coordinator) Kliff Kingsbury and your entire teaching employees to say, ‘Hey Jayden, I perceive how glorious we... Stroud, we’re gonna work on a few of these little issues,’” Sam Acho stated, through NFL on ESPN. “With the intention to not have that hunch like we noticed with C.J. Stroud, we’re gonna work on a few of these little issues.”@TheSamAcho on the Commanders stopping a Jayden Daniels sophomore hunch <img decoding=async src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f440.png" alt="👀" class=wp-smiley style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> pic.twitter.com/q4KEZalMVm Jayden Daniels heads into the 2025 season coming off an incredible rookie campaign.

In his first season, Daniels led the Washington Commanders to the NFC championship game for the first time in decades, excelled in the clutch by throwing multiple game-winning touchdown passes, and set the rookie... He proved unfazed by the moment, whether it was throwing a Hail Mary to defeat the Chicago Bears or taking down the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions in the postseason. Daniels proved he can succeed in the NFL, but also set a high bar for himself going forward. Daniels isn't just expected to replicate what he accomplished his rookie season, but to build off that near unprecedented success for a rookie. That can be challenging, especially when a number of great rookies deal with a sophomore slump after their first NFL season.

The positive for Daniels is he doesn't appear to get affected by outside pressure easily. On top of this, Daniels is working to combat facing a slump in his second year in the pros, including by eliminating some of his bad tendencies as a quarterback. “I’m sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible,” Daniels told Yahoo Sports's Jori Epstein. “Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed.” Fortunately for Daniels, he seems to be surrounded by a strong coaching staff on the Commanders that were key to helping him thrive as a rookie. Ahead of his rookie season, the Commanders helped him become elite at reading and processing defenses by using virtual reality technology.

Now, Washington can turn the focus to getting rid of his tendencies and addressing any other key areas he can improve, which should only make him harder to defend. Josh Norman may not be the most celebrated player in the Washington Commanders' franchise history, but he did spend four seasons with the franchise from 2016-19. Norman played 12 years in the NFL and was a first-team All-Pro the year before he signed with Washington. Norman appeared in 58 games for the burgundy and gold and last played for the Buffalo Bills in 2023. Norman still keeps close tabs on the NFL and had some praise for his former team, specifically, young quarterback Jayden Daniels. "I mean, listen, he got everything you would want in a quarterback, for your franchise," Norman recently told Chris Russell of the Team 980 in Washington, D.C.

"Like, he makes the right decisions, and those decisions put him in a place to be successful. You know, you come in, you thinking it, but then you turn around and go to the league with it. And you think, OK, the first-year rookie is going to have that, like he gonna drop off. No, that man excel in the highest of the highest levels. And so, to see that that wasn't a hoax, that wasn't just a fluke, that wasn't just a person that did it one time, no, he did it again, on a bigger stage. And to see him raise his game every week to where it's just like easy for him."

Norman then praised Daniels' talent, his work ethic and more, which is why he made this prediction for Daniels in 2025. <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-987544046 size-full lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_7860.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1" alt="Jayden Daniels" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_7860.jpeg 1024w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_7860-980x551.jpeg 980w, https://twsn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_7860-480x270.jpeg 480w" sizes="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw"... Jayden Daniels took over the NFL by storm during his rookie campaign. Not only did he play at a historical level individually, but he also led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Conference Championship. Analysts and scouts knew that Daniels was an experienced, talented quarterback throughout his college career, but there were serious questions about his weight and play style at the next level. Could he stay healthy and utilize the unique skill set that makes him so distinctive?

In 2024, Jayden Daniels delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. As he heads into his second year, expectations are sky-high, but one question looms large: Will Daniels fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump? TWSN’s Top 100 Players Ahead Of 2025 NFL Season The dreaded sophomore slump has bitten many a second-year star. Last season, Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud struggled through Year 2.

In recent seasons, other OROY winners have similarly taken a step back. Garrett Wilson, Ja'Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley and Dak Prescott, to name a few, each earned a statistical regression in their second seasons. It's a list that Washington Commanders QB and reigning OROY Jayden Daniels is out to stay off. "I'm sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible," Daniels told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports this week. "Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed." In his first year, Daniels flipped the script for a franchise penciled in at the bottom of the division.

Statistically, he finished with a 69% completion rate, 3,568 passing yards, a 25-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 100.1 passer rating. The dual threat also earned 891 rushing yards, setting a rookie record for a QB, and six rushing scores. Jayden Daniels has been one of the few quarterbacks to get selected and showcase his talents right away, as he dominated from the jump and led the Washington Commanders to an NFC Championship Game. That was a huge leap for a team that hadn’t posted a winning record in eight years. Daniels stepped up in a big way, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after completing 331 of 480 passes (69.0%) for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran 148 times for 891 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and six rushing touchdowns.

Now, the challenge is meeting those lofty expectations, as many rookies hit a sophomore slump in Year 2. We saw that with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud last season, who had a bit of a down year. But Daniels is determined to go above and beyond this offseason to avoid that in 2025. Daniels has shown that he can keep rising to the moment—he never slowed down during the season or in the playoffs. The game never looked too fast, and the spotlight never seemed too bright.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports senior reporter Jori Epstein, Daniels said he’s focused on avoiding the dreaded slump. “I’m sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible. Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed.”

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