Daniels grabs OROY to crown remarkable rookie season

The expected happened Thursday when Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was named Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL awards ceremony.

Daniels headlined a strong list of finalists, including Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, and New York Giants wideout Malik Nabers.

Daniels received 49 out of 50 first-place votes, accumulating 495 points, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. Bowers placed second with 214 points.

Bowers and Thomas were strong finalists despite their team's inconsistencies at quarterback. However, Daniels takes home the award after leading the Commanders' spectacular turnaround from a 4-13 record in 2023 to reaching the playoffs this year.

Daniels finished his first regular season with a 69% completion rate to go along with 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns against only nine interceptions. He also rushed for six TDs and 891 yards, the latter being the most ever for a rookie QB.

With four-game winning drives, Daniels came up clutch throughout the campaign. The No. 2 pick had many marquee moments, including a 21-for-23 performance with three total touchdowns in his Monday Night Football debut, a walk-off Hail Mary TD throw to beat the Chicago Bears, and a five-touchdown outing to take down the Philadelphia Eagles and help the 12-5 Commanders end the regular season on a five-game winning streak.

He also propelled the Commanders to their first NFC title game since the 1991 season.

It's the second straight year a quarterback has won OROY after Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud in 2023. Wide receivers claimed the honor in 2021 (Ja'Marr Chase) and 2022 (Garrett Wilson).