'His mission is to be the best quarterback': Why fame hasn't changed Jayden Daniels

ASHBURN, Va. -- As Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels made his way through the concourse of Capital One Arena following a Washington Capitals game in late April, he was forced to begrudgingly reach a conclusion about his status in the nation's capital that many had known for months: He was a big deal.

On this day, the simple act of walking to the bathroom required the help of four to five security guards. There, a handful of fans tried to snap selfies with him.

At the start of the game, there was initially one security guard keeping people away from Daniels and fellow Washington quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman, seated in the first row against the glass. But in between periods, as hundreds of fans tried to make their way to Daniels' row, the number of security personnel rose to between four and six.

After the game, Daniels and his teammates remained in their seats for nearly 40 minutes, waiting for the crowd that had gathered to see him to -- they hoped -- thin out. Instead, as more than a hundred fans waited outside his section, Daniels' group had to exit at a different part of the arena. As he headed through the concourse en route to the Caps' locker room, another hundred or so fans followed, mirroring a scene of a golfer, in the final group, walking to the final hole of a major.

They chanted "Jayden! Jayden!" and "MVP! MVP!"

All totaled, Daniels and his group needed 10 security guards and four ushers to help control the crowd at multiple points in the arena. And when he finally went to his car -- around an hour after the game had ended -- another hundred or so fans were waiting.

"From a security standpoint, this was our most challenging VIP for a game," said Jeremy Bull, who is the director of event security for the arena. "We have everyone from presidents to congressmen on a regular basis. He was by far our biggest celebrity that other guests were interested in."

For Daniels, who says he is happier hanging out with friends at home than going out, the extra attention he received at the game took him by surprise. It wasn't a surprise to those around him. Three months after his standout Rookie of the Year season helped galvanize a stagnant franchise to a 12-5 record and an unlikely spot in the NFC Championship Game, the scene at Capital One Arena was just the latest example of Daniels' new reality -- one filled with celebrity encounters, media requests, endorsement opportunities, invites to fashion shows in Europe, film festivals and awards galas.

But as the world around him changed, Daniels, according to those who know him best, has not. And while that world around him remains impressed with all he accomplished in a dazzling Year 1, Daniels, who is kept grounded by his family and friends in his hometown of San Bernardino, California, is eager to turn the page and continue improving his game in Year 2, which began with a Week 1 win against the New York Giants and continues Thursday at the Green Bay Packers (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

"Last year was last year," said Daniels, always eager to change the conversation whenever last season is brought up. "I don't like when people talk about it to me and ask me about it because it don't mean anything to me. I don't say I get irritated about it, but kind of just moving on to the present, trying to focus on getting better so I could be better for this year."

ON OCT. 27, 2024, Daniels' star reached a new level.

To that point, Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner from LSU in 2023, had already been a sensation in the NFL, having won the NFL's offensive player of the month in September. He was mentioned among others in the MVP race and was flying toward winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But his national profile skyrocketed that late October day. With Washington trailing the Chicago Bears 15-12 with six seconds remaining, Daniels had one more long shot chance to win the game. When the ball was snapped, the Commanders possessed a win probability of 1.4%.

Daniels dropped back, rolled to his right, retreated and ran back to his left against the Bears' four-man rush. Then, from his own 35-yard line, he heaved a Hail Mary. His prayer of a pass was answered as receiver Noah Brown caught the ball as time expired to help lead Washington to an improbable 18-15 home victory.

The play was the biggest "wow" moment in a season full of them for Daniels to that point, and sent Northwest Stadium -- and outside interests wanting a piece of Daniels -- into a frenzy. Afterward, all of the morning network shows requested Daniels, according to Commanders director of communications Charlie Mule.

It was just a peek into what would happen in the offseason.

Daniels went on to continue starring on the field. He threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 891 yards and six scores en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helping Washington to its first NFC Championship Game in 32 years.

Once the season ended, Daniels was invited to appear on "Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley," a humor-based show that has 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube. Pressley has interviewed Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Rob Gronkowski, Luka Doncic, Joe Burrow, Doja Cat, Shane Gillis and Morgan Wallen, among others. In June, "iShowSpeed," a show with 43.6 million subscribers on YouTube, invited Daniels to participate when it was going to be about 20 miles from the Commanders' facility.

In total, Daniels was invited to appear for sit-down interviews on approximately 20 national shows, Mule said. Daniels also received as many as 20 endorsement opportunities. He was asked to go to Paris for a week in April to promote the NFL. He was invited to fashion shows in Milan and Paris, as well as the Cannes Film Festival.

Daniels declined most of the requests, passing on all but a handful of national interviews -- turning down "Sundae Conversation," "iShowSpeed," all the fashion shows, Cannes and even "SportsCenter" in early July. (He did appear on the set when ESPN was at the Commanders' practice July 27.) Otherwise, he has said no to all but several national media opportunities. And he rejected most of the marketing opportunities, especially if they interfered with his ability to train. He did go to Paris to promote the NFL, even spending half of his last day there getting his hair cut so he could land in California the next day and go train before heading to San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk's wedding the following day.

Four days after the Super Bowl, Daniels got a glimpse into his newfound status. He and his childhood friend Rome Weber attended a USC women's basketball game vs. UCLA. A number of celebrities attended, including entertainer Kevin Hart and actors Issa Rae and Sanaa Lathan, as well as Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Of the star-studded group, Daniels, the Southern California native, attracted the most attention from fans.

"At halftime everyone is coming down to the court to get pictures and say hi to Jayden," Weber said. "It was like a dream, but it's not a dream -- but it doesn't seem real."

Hart did not ask for a picture, but the noted Philadelphia Eagles fan did walk over to say hello. And then the comedian jokingly flapped his arms -- referencing the Eagles' fight song "Fly Eagles Fly" -- four days after Philadelphia's Super Bowl victory and nearly three weeks after the Eagles beat Washington to clinch the NFC title.

"We talked about it a little bit in the car [on the way home], but as far as it shocking him, I don't think it shocks him anymore," Weber said.

But there are some things that kind of do.

"A lot of people say a lot of different things that kind of catch me off guard," Daniels said, "like I changed their life, I saved their life and things like that. One person jokingly said I was the reason why the crime rate went down [in Washington] during football season last year."

Daniels said he now understands the heightened interest others have in him.

"I never thought there'd be a day I had to have security," said Daniels, "but when I go out that's always a thing I have to have."

AT THE NFL awards ceremony a week before the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Daniels wished he could have been anywhere else. It's not that he didn't appreciate winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But the loss to Philadelphia a week earlier still stung. He also was ready to move on.

Daniels wasn't focused on what he had accomplished. He established multiple rookie records, including most total offensive yards, and was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Month for September.

"I didn't want to be in New Orleans," Daniels said. "I'm obviously happy I won. I'm blessed to do things like that. But at times in New Orleans, I mean after we had just lost, I did not want to be there. It was kind of a miserable feeling for me."

But when he accepted the award, Daniels -- wearing sunglasses and a green-and-black printed sport coat over a black shirt -- deflected the credit, thanking: God, his mom, his family back home, the Commanders, team owner Josh Harris, the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia), the Washington fan base and his college receivers, and fellow nominees, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and Giants wideout Malik Nabers. Then he left the stage.

"What's the point of bragging?" Daniels' father, Jay, has often told him. "You know you're good when others talk about you."

"I am never the one that wants to get in front of the camera and talk about what I've done, what I've accomplished," Daniels said. "I kind of just like to go unfazed, [in] the dark and then play on Sundays."

Friends and acquaintances credit Daniels' parents, Jay Daniels and Regina Jackson, for their son's approach to fame and the spotlight. The San Bernardino community in which Daniels grew up and frequently visits has also played a key role.

"His dad will sit there and everyone's congratulating him. You're like 27-of-30 and five touchdowns and his dad is like, 'Yeah, but you missed the open receiver on this play,'" said Daniels' former high school coach Nick Rogers. "He definitely gets brought back down to earth when he's down here. If anybody's pumped him up enough he comes back to this city and there's enough people that will bring him right back to reality."

In January 2024, the stadium at Cajon High School, where Daniels became a five-star recruit, was renamed Jayden Daniels Stadium.

"When we see people in awe of him, we're like, look, you're still this little scrawny 13-year-old when you first met. Get over yourself," said Teenya Bishop, Daniels' high school principal, with a laugh. "We try to keep him humble or grounded. I think he appreciates us not treating him different."

Nor has Daniels changed how he treats others. At the Commanders' facility, he hangs out in different departments -- whether it's with the security guards or the communications staff. Mule, a big New York Mets fan, is a constant target. Daniels will chide him every time the Mets lose -- writing down the score in Mule's notebook or, on one particular day, stuffing Mule's six Mets bobbleheads in a garbage bag and placing them on his chair.

"He connects with people that your average star athlete probably wouldn't," Bishop said.

Ryan Porter, who has worked as Daniels' quarterback coach since Daniels was around 11 years old, said the quarterback was often reminded by his father how quickly the attention can fade. One bad game, or subpar season, could alter his path.

"I remember his dad always telling him, 'You're on a pedestal today but playing this position it could all be gone tomorrow in the blink of an eye. Don't forget that,'" Porter said. The lessons stuck.

"It's almost like he's desensitized," Bishop said. "He knows his mission. His mission is to be the best quarterback. And so he just stays focused on the prize."

WORKING TOWARD "THE PRIZE" -- being on a football field and working on his game -- is the source of Daniels' main enjoyment. Two weeks after the title game loss, Daniels texted one of his offseason quarterback coaches, Taylor Kelly, about getting back to work. A week later, he did the same with Porter.

Daniels worked a handful of times with Porter to perfect his footwork, then he worked with Kelly, who consults with the Commanders' staff on what to emphasize, for multiple weeks. Daniels also focused his time on analyzing his own tendencies, hoping to anticipate how defensive coordinators might defend him this season.

Neither Kelly nor Porter noticed a change from the approach that made Daniels such a star on the field last season.

"You could tell there was never a moment in the workouts where he was like, 'I've made it,'" Kelly said. "It was always like they were 2-[15] and he approached it as if, 'I haven't done anything.'"

The Commanders aren't worried about any regression, either. That wouldn't match the focused QB they've seen all offseason and during camp. Daniels, for instance, like he did all last season, still arrives around 5:30 a.m. and conducts walk-throughs with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard.

"He's always been so poised, such high confidence, but I feel like he's just taking another step," tight end Zach Ertz said. "He's very efficient. He sees the game a certain way. He is talking to guys how he sees it, making sure everyone's on his page and not necessarily just how each individual sees the game. He's taken even more ownership of this thing as he should."

This season, Daniels is more vocal in the huddle -- he booted rookie receiver Ja'Corey Brooks from the huddle after a false start during one practice. He also lets Kingsbury know more often what plays he likes or dislikes. He wasn't perfect in Washington's 21-6 win over the Giants on Sunday, but he still threw for 233 yards, one touchdown and rushed for another 68 yards.

"It's the comfort level," Kingsbury said. "When you're a rookie it's like, 'Yeah I'll do it. Whatever you call, I got it.' [It's] him understanding now it's your show. I'm just along for the ride."

For now, there's just one path Daniels wants to travel, and that doesn't involve getting caught up in the hoopla.

"I got so much more I want to accomplish," Daniels said. "Last year was just the beginning."