Jayden Daniels lit up the league in his rookie year like few others have in recent memory. Drafted second overall in 2024, he turned a struggling franchise into a playoff threat. Daniels led the Burgundy and Gold to a 12-5 record and back-to-back playoff upsets over the Bucs and top-seeded Lions. It was a Cinderella run, and the District was all in. However, heading into Year 2, the spotlight that once followed Daniels everywhere has shifted—at least for now.

That’s because Terry McLaurin just stole the show. The Commander faithful had waited all week, and finally, on Sunday, their star wideout returned to training camp. McLaurin had skipped three practices—each costing him $50K in fines—but now he’s back in pads, demanding the attention that once surrounded the rookie QB. Naturally, McLaurin’s comeback isn’t without its share of drama. He’s entering the final year of a deal that pays him $15.5 million in base salary while hitting the cap at a hefty $25.5 million.

And as ESPN’s Adam Schefter put it, “I would say, DK Metcalf was the same draft class as Terry McLaurin, he got about $33 million per year. I wouldn’t think that Terry is willing to take less than that, and I think he wants considerably more than that. Now, what it comes in at, we’ll wind up seeing. Washington, they’re not there right now. They love and value Terry McLaurin but they love and value him at a different price.” So it’s no surprise that The Rich Eisen Show jumped on the McLaurin buzz. Eisen said Daniels needs McLaurin to keep this train moving. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah agreed, adding, “He’s more comfortable. We speak, and he’s kind of bringing everybody, you know, along, but everything he’s doing is even faster than he did last year, so that’s scary.”

Even scarier? The fact that people inside the Commanders’ front office believe Daniels has another level in him. They feel like the offensive line is better. The secondary, they think, is much improved over what it was last year. “You know, you got to get the McLaurin thing worked out, but Rich, I just feel like these things always have a way of working out,” Jeremiah added.

Yet despite all that, the buzz remains on McLaurin—at least for now. With 82 catches, over 1,000 yards, and 13 touchdowns last season, he was Daniels’ go-to weapon in 2024. But the moment this contract drama dies down, the spotlight will swing right back to No. 5—because Daniels is just getting started.

Jayden Daniels needs McLaurin for a historic season

Jayden Daniels isn’t just another rookie QB with hype behind his name. He’s part of a new NFL wave. Gone are the days of statuesque pocket passers like Brady and Peyton. These days, dual-threat monsters like Lamar, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts are running the show. And now, Daniels is right there in the conversation. With the last three MVPs being of the mobile QB mold, analysts are already betting big on the Commanders’ young star. ESPN’s Louis Riddick is one of them, and he’s going all in on the Daniels MVP buzz.

“That could very well happen. There’s a good shot that it may happen. This guy is unique,” Riddick said. “We talk about unicorns all the time. This guy is a unicorn in terms of his football character, how mature he is. I watched him the other day in his media session. I’m sitting there going, ‘Has this guy played in the league for 4, 5 years?’ He’s one of the best leaders this football team has had in 2 decades.”

Still, the history books don’t hand out MVP trophies easily. Only seven players have pulled it off in their second year, and just four of those were quarterbacks. We’re talking Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Dan Marino, and Kurt Warner. Daniels may be on the path, but getting there won’t be solo work.

Because, as Riddick pointed out, everything changes if Terry McLaurin isn’t out there with him. Hence, “The Commanders should remain aggressive and offer McLaurin whatever he wants.” Riddick’s not wrong—if Dan Quinn and his team want to ride this championship wave, keeping No. 17 in Burgundy and Gold is non-negotiable.