Jayden Daniels named 2024 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year

Jayden Daniels is the 2024 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year. The news comes as no surprise as the Washington Commanders’ QB won 11 of the weekly fan votes. Daniels opened up on his gratitude in a press release.

“I want to thank my family and friends for their love and support,” Daniels said. “I also want to thank my coaches and teammates. I would not be able to accept this award without you. I am honored and blessed to be named the 2024 Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year.

“Thank you to all the fans who took the time to vote for me all season, it is truly a privilege to play for you and I can’t wait to see everyone again in 2025!”

It was a record year for the former LSU standout. Daniels recorded the highest completion percentage, the most rushing yards and the fourth-highest passer rating by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.

Daniels also ranked first among rookie quarterbacks in passer rating (100.1), completion percentage (69.0), rushing yards (891) and rushing touchdowns (six). Additionally, he ranked second in passing yards (3,568) and touchdown passes (25), trailing only Denver Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix.

More impressive than Jayden Daniels’ individual stats, however, was his team’s success. Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship, their first appearance in the game since 1991 when they went on to win the Super Bowl.

It was a complete turnaround for the organization. In 2023, the Commanders posted a 4-13 record and finished last in the NFC East. After firing head coach Ron Rivera and bringing in Dan Quinn, this season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Commanders. Instead, it turned into an unforgettable run.

While Daniels was understandably upset after his team came up one game short of a Super Bowl appearance, he’s confident that the Commanders’ success in 2024 is only the beginning.

“Obviously, man, this sucks,” Daniels said. “This s*** sucks. Excuse my language, but I couldn’t be prouder of the guys in the locker room.

“Year 1, everybody not really knowing each other — rookies, doing a tremendous job bringing us in and helping us out. We all just meshed. We got to this point, but at the end of the day, we lost and it sucks. We’ll move on from this.”

Daniels may not be done reeling in the awards this month. Later today, the NFL will announce the AP Rookie of the Year. Daniels is the favorite to win the coveted award.