Peyton Manning is enjoying what sets his rookie season apart from Jaden Daniels

Washington Commanders‘ quarterback Jaiden Daniels had an outstanding first season in the NFL. His efforts helped turn around a team that finished 4-13 in 2023, leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record and the sixth seed in the NFC. Daniels is a entry for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But how does his debut campaign compare to one of the all-time greats?

so, Peyton Manningthe two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time league MVP, Hall of Famer and living legend had to give Daniels his flowers. Especially when compared to Daniels rookie season on its own with the Indianapolis Colts.

“Washington was very adamant about picking up Jaden Daniels … They got him and you can just tell Jaden and (offensive coordinator) Kliff (Kingsbury) hit the ground running. “I think the system really suited Jaden and you could tell he picked it up quickly,” Manning said of Daniels, via ESPN’s Kevin Clark on X.

“I remember my rookie year just praying that the first read would be open because I wasn’t sure where the second and third reads were. And that feels bad as a quarterback. You can tell Jayden, he’s got it. He knows it… He’s fun to watch. In the fourth quarter, he is as calm and collected as he was during the warm-up before the game. And that’s a great quality for a quarterback, especially a rookie,” Manning added.

Daniels has been nothing short of sensational in his first year in the NFL. He was so good in fact that some believe he composed it the best new season KB in history.

Peyton Manning is in awe of Commanders rookie QB Jaden Daniels

Daniels completed 69 percent of his passes with the Commanders, gaining 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Compare those numbers to Manning’s first year in the pros. In one less game, Payton completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. As great a passer as Manning has proven to be, he’s never been much help on the ground. Daniels, on the other hand, has rushed for 891 yards and six extra scores this season. That broke Robert Griffin III’s rushing KB record set up in 2012.

Daniels also became only fourth rookie passer selected for Pro Bowlsomething else Manning failed to do in his first season. And while Manning led his Colts to a 13-3 record in his second year, reaching the playoffs for the first time, he posted just a 3-13 record in his rookie season.

None of this is to say that Daniels will be a better player than the great Peyton Manning when all is said and done. After all, early success is not necessarily an indicator of future success. But Daniels earned a spot in the postseason as a rookie and was set to lead the Commanders in a road playoff game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. This is another opportunity to continue building the legend of an extremely talented young quarterback.