Pregame rituals have always bordered on the bizarre֫—quiet little habits that somehow flip the mental switch before kickoff. Some players need music, others need mayhem. Just ask John Henderson, who once demanded to be slapped across the face to feel alive. Or Michael Strahan, who talked to his socks as if they held secrets. Brian Urlacher? He swore by a cookie before every game. It’s something we call locker room secrets.

But somehow, all these rituals are well-documented. And get this, when a rookie from LSU enters the pros, rattles defenses all year, and still looks like he’s just strolling through a Saturday scrimmage? Folks start to wonder what’s really going on behind the scenes. We’re talking about the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Commanders‘ quarterback, Jayden Daniels.

Daniels recently sat down with Dr. Christopher Walsh, a board-certified internist at VHC Health Primary Care, where he talked about his ability to stay steady under pressure. “After pre-game warm up, I get back in the locker room and first thing I do, I call my dad, no matter what, if he’s at the game, he’s not, I call him and we pray,” Daniels explained. Jayden’s dad, Javon Daniels, is a former Division I college football player turned steadfast mentor.

His dad played cornerback at both the University of Washington and Iowa State in the late 1990s. But the years, Javon has been instrumental in Jayden’s development. Whether it’s during his time at LSU or now in the NFL with the Commanders. So yeah, Jayden Daniels calling his dad right before the big night and praying together just makes sense. And he’s been doing it for years.

“It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life,” the second-year quarterback added. “So, I’ll call him and then I’ll put a towel over my head and just kind of getting that mode, and then from there I take the towel off, is now it’s time to go out there and do whatever it takes to win a game.” Safe to say that this ritual has totally worked out in the quarterback’s favor.

Daniels, in his rookie season, led the Commanders to a 12-5 record in the regular season, including the team’s first Conference Championship trip in over three decades. And yes, along the way, he also recorded over 3,500 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. That Offensive Rookie of the Year? It’s the cherry on the cake. Fast forward, and as he’s gearing up for his second season, he is more excited. The reason? Well, the Commanders have brought in veteran receiver Deebo Samuel.

Jayden Daniels is relieved ahead of the 2025 season

When the Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel earlier this offseason, analysts and reporters alike lit up, as they’re optimistic about watching a second-year QB paired with a veteran receiver. While there have been a few instances where chemistry between a young QB and veteran wideout takes time to build, sure. But that’s not the case with Daniels and Samuel. Why?

Well, it’s how well Daniels’ rookie season turned out. With a screen/pass ratio of 26% of attempts, Daniels was ranked 6th in the NFL with 52 screen passes in his rookie season. And now that he’s paired with Samuel, it sets the stage for Daniels to target Samuel deep. So, when he talked about the wideout’s arrival at the NYC Fanatics Fest 2025, you could sense a hint of excitement as well as relief. After all, he won’t have to rush more this season.

“Now I’m just excited to throw him a screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn’t have to do any of the work,” Daniels said. “But I’m just excited, he’s a great person. Great, fitting in the locker room. We’re vibing with him, so you’re gonna see a hella lot of touchdowns.” Well, it sounds like a challenge for Deebo. After all, Daniels also rushed for 891 yards and scored 6 rushing touchdowns besides his top-tier passing game.

And now that he’s in the Commanders’ receiving corps, it’s safe to say that Jayden Daniels will now focus more on his throwing game rather than his running game.