Jayden Daniels’ former teammate makes a strong statement on Commanders QB’s leadership skills and unique abilities
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier praises Jayden Daniels as his former teammate while he prepares for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jayden Daniels had a special college career with the LSU Tigers before being selected by the Washington Commanders to become their next franchise quarterback.
He’s already changing the game in the NFL, and he set the bar high after a historic rookie season of how young quarterbacks can come into the league and take it over in year one.
For Daniels to get where he is now, however, he had to create a legacy at LSU, and that’s exactly what he did. His legacy was felt by his teammates and made a lasting impact on one teammate who is entering the 2026 NFL Draft, and looking to follow in Daniels’ footsteps.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier praises Jayden Daniels’ abilities
Playing quarterback is one of the hardest positions in any sport, and sometimes it takes time to become the starter, but you still have to put the work in. That’s exactly what LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had to do while Daniels chased a Heisman trophy and landed in Washington as the No. 2 overall pick of the draft. He spent time watching Daniels on and off the field, and he says that helped him the most as Nussmeier prepares for his own draft process, starting at the Senior Bowl.
“Obviously, that experience with Jayden [Daniels] was hard for me to learn because our play styles are very different,” Nussmeier said. “I would like to say I can run like him, but obviously not. You know, he can do some special things with the ball in his hand. So when I was behind Jayden, I had to learn from him in different ways. You know, I couldn’t just necessarily watch him pull outside zone and take off for 65 yards for a touchdown, and say, ‘Alright, I’m gonna go do that’.
You know, that wasn’t really my game. So there were obviously some things within his game that I could learn as well. You know, obviously, he’s a great passer and things like that as well. So the most I learned from Jayden was more off the field, just how he interacted with his teammates, you know, the way he went about his business, how he studied, how he prepared things like that. That’s where Jayden helped me the most, and so I’m thankful for my time behind him.”
Jayden Daniels has the extra traits that turn good players into great players
It’s one thing to be a gifted player on the field, but that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely stick around, as we’ve seen many times in the NFL. You have to be willing to be great off the field as well, and that’s something Washington fans and players saw in Daniels right away.
Now, Daniels has an important offseason ahead to get healthy and continue his development as a top young quarterback, while the Commanders build around him. Daniels has special traits, and the team leaned on him too much with a conservative offseason because of it.
General manager Adam Peters needs to attack free agency and provide Daniels with help on both sides of the ball so he can get back to doing what he does best.
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