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Jayden Daniels officially earns NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Moment of the Year awards

by:Jerit Roser•about 10 hours
NFL: NFC Wild Card Round-Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after winning a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Jayden Daniels was officially named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday evening to headline a two-award night for the Washington Commanders quarterback as the NFL Honors ceremony.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year honors marked the least surprising news of the night after the first-year star out of LSU’s historic debut campaign made him the runaway favorite.

Daniels, the 2023 Heisman winner in his final season with the Tigers, later added the NextGen Stats Moment of the Year award to his haul.

He finished the regular season 331-for-480 (69.0%) for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushing for another 891 yards and six scores, then added an impressive playoff run to further bolster those total numbers to 406-for-594 (68.4%) for 4,390 yards and 30 touchdowns as a passer and 1,026 yards and seven scores as a rusher.

The performance torched a long list of all-time franchise and league marks, as Daniels served as a major catalyst in his team’s historic turnaround from 4-13 to 14-6 and an NFC Championship appearance.

Among the highlights along the way was the NextGen Moment of the Year winner: Daniels’ walk-off hail-mary to Noah Brown in Week 8 to upend the Chicago Bears, 18-15.

Daniels became the second former LSU star to win the AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the past four years, joining Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in 2021, and third in 11 years, after then-New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. won in 2014.

He topped Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and a pair of former LSU teammates in New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for the award.

Daniels had previously been announced as the Pro Football Writers of Association’s winner of both its Offensive Rookie of the Year and overall Rookie of the Year awards.

His NextGen Stats Moment of the Year award also marked the second win by a former Tigers star in the past three years after a one-handed grab by Justin Jefferson took home the recognition after the 2022 season. Beckham also won the award in 2014 for his iconic one-handed catch.

Daniels’ All-Time Ranks Among Rookie QBs

Regular SeasonPlayoffs Combined Total
Total Yards4,459 (4th)957 (1st) 5,416 (1st)
Total Touchdowns31 (4th)6 (T-1st)37 (1st)
Passing Yards3,568 (15th)822 (1st)4,390 (3rd)
Passing Touchdowns25 (6th)5 (2nd)30 (T-2nd)
Completions331/480 (11th)75/114 (1st)406/594 (1st)
Completion Percentage69% (3rd)65.8% (2nd) 68.4% (2nd)
Rushing Yards891 (1st)135 (1st)1,026 (1st)
Rushing Touchdowns6 (T-6th)1 (T-1st)7 (4th)
(Rankings among rookie quarterbacks. Completion percentages among quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts for regular season or total and at least 10 pass attempts for playoffs)

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