Jayden Daniels has the Washington Commanders just one win away from the team’s first Super Bowl appearance since 1991. The first year quarterback has helped his team pull off two upsets so far this postseason, and will be looking for a third as he tries to become the first rookie QB to ever win (or even start) a Super Bowl.
No Rookie Quarterback Ever Won The Super Bowl
Daniels was the second quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams was thought to be the can’t-miss prospect, and was taken first overall by the Chicago Bears. The Commanders were able to nab Daniels with the second pick, which is shaping up to be an excellent decision. Not only did the LSU product and Heisman Trophy winner put up one of the best statistical years of any first-year pass thrower, but he was a big reason why Washington went 12-5 on the season and had some of the most impressive clutch wins in the NFL.
“Not only has he had the best rookie season ever, you can make the case it’s the most impactful rookie season ever.”
—@danorlovsky7 on Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/TSbZzbXwhg
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 23, 2025
After defeating the Buccaneers and Lions on their way to the NFC Championship, the Commanders are set for a showdown with division rival Philadelphia for the rights to play in the Super Bowl. Should Daniels and company be able to overcome their status as 6-point underdogs and defeat the Eagles, he would be the first rookie quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl in the 59 years of the big game being played.
In fact, very few first-year signal callers even make it to the conference championship game. From 1966 until 1999, there were exactly zero rookie QBs to start a game on Championship Weekend. Shaun King of the 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the first, and there have been just four others since.
The most recent example was Brock Purdy, who threw just four passes in the 2024 NFC Championship game before being removed from the game due to injury. Every rookie quarterback who has started a Conference Championship game has lost.
| Year | Quarterback | Team | Opponent | W/L |
| 2000 | Shaun King | Buccaneers | Rams | L, 11-6 |
| 2005 | Ben Roethlisberger | Steelers | Patriots | L, 41-27 |
| 2009 | Joe Flacco | Ravens | Steelers | L, 23-14 |
| 2010 | Mark Sanchez | Jets | Colts | L, 30-17 |
| 2023 | Brock Purdy | 49ers | Eagles | L, 31-7 |
Daniels, Commanders Once Again Listed As Playoff Underdogs
Can Jayden Daniels overcome the odds and be the first rookie QB to start in a Super Bowl? The odds are certainly stacked against him and the Commanders, but they have been all season long. The oddsmakers at the sportsbooks had Washington at over/under 6.5 wins for the 2024 season, a number that they nearly doubled. They were 3-point road underdogs during Wild Card Weekend, and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory by defeating Detroit in their last game.
The Commanders have the longest odds of any of the four remaining teams when it comes to their chances of winning the Super Bowl (+750). But if they are able to pull off the upset of the Eagles in the NFC Championship game, then they and their quarterback will be re-writing the history books in the process.
