Jayden Daniels – The franchise tag. No. 2 overall pick. The new Washington era’s face. And he delivered. Not in flashes, not in hype – but in ruthless production. Dragged the NFC’s worst team to the playoffs and made prime-time television into his own highlight reel. Rookie of the Year. 891 yards on the ground. Made linebackers miss like he was still at LSU. And just like that, the Commanders had something they hadn’t had in over a decade – hope with a pulse.

But now comes the part no one talks about. You can be the face of a franchise one moment and then the face of a podcast thumbnail that summarises someone else’s best moments the next. Cam Newton, who has witnessed enough rookie highs and sophomore lows, is the best person to understand that spotlight flip.

The former MVP made a startling and shocking analogy on Funky Friday with Wale: Jayden Daniels reminds him of Robert Griffin III. Yes. That RGIII. The player who became a walking NFL ‘What if?’ after lighting up rookie year highlight clips. But Cam wasn’t just tossing out hot takes. He was laying down layers. Background. Experience. And, dare we say it, some post-traumatic stress disorder from witnessing too many golden lads deteriorate due to dysfunctional franchises and rash game plans. Cam finally revealed how much RG3’s 2012 run rocked the league when he said, “There was nobody who had the game in a chokehold like Robert Griffin III his rookie season…His rookie season really made people kind it was almost like…Jayden Daniels.”

And he sees Jayden ascending those identical steps, complete with electric legs, fan chatter, and great expectations. So he couldn’t help but wonder: What if the ascent ends the same way? Cam Newton: “I see that same thing happening for Jayden…do you fear that?” Wale: “I mean, I think you always fear like we got PTSD of not winning for so long…It’s the kid from LSU but so we like damn like okay when is the honeymoon over…But I got to believe in the new organization, new GM…like we going in the right direction.” But Wale also failed to avoid the RG3 ghost. He discussed it in unvarnished detail, including the spooky conversation he had with Griffin prior to the Seahawks’ playoffs. 

The one where he already sensed something was off with the heavy run script. “When he tore that jump, I just knew this was going to be hard to come back from,” Wale said. The takeaway? Jayden’s got that ‘it’ factor, but so did RG3. The concern isn’t talent. It’s context. Franchise chaos. Game plan recklessness. A city still healing from a decade of QB heartbreaks. So, where does that leave Jayden? Well, according to Cam, on a tightrope. One that runs through NFL glory on one side and the RG3 trap door on the other.

Can Jayden Daniels level up, or is the Sophomore slump lurking?

Jayden Daniels blew up stat sheets in his rookie year. He ran for 891 yards, the most ever by a rookie quarterback, and tallied 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. In Year 1, the Heisman winner led Washington into the playoffs, won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and was selected to the Pro Bowl. That is a whole franchise revival by a single player. The kind of season that gets you bronze statues in SEC towns.

He played like a cheat code. A Heisman winner who backed up every pre-draft word. A quarterback who pulled Washington out of a 4-13 pit and had them a win away from the Super Bowl. That’s not hype. That’s history. But now comes the sophomore slump talk. And while it’s more paranoia than prophecy at this point, there are some tiny cracks in the tape.

Pocket accuracy? A bit unsteady. Daniels ranked 25th out of 36 quarterbacks with an 11.2% off-target percentage from inside the pocket. He missed a few throws he shouldn’t have, particularly when he was boxed in by defenses. Rib injury stretch? His scramble rate dipped from 12.5% to 9.5%, and in games like Week 18 vs Dallas, when he was limited to pocket work, the result was mediocre. 

But still, Jayden Daniels doesn’t need to escape RG3’s shadow. He needs to outlast it. The tools are there. The love for the game is real. And the city-bruised, battered, and borderline allergic to joy might just be ready to believe again. But as Cam warned, the game’s seen this movie before. The ending, this time, is up to Jayden.