In his rookie year, Jayden Daniels gave the Washington Commanders something that the franchise hadn’t had in a while. Hope. The rookie quarterback led Washington to its first-ever NFC Championship game since 1991 and even won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award while racking up impressive statistics.

As his second year unfolded, the high expectations seemed to become cloudy, and another name became relevant once again. His name is Robert Griffin III. First Round Mock by former NFL scout, Daniel Kelly, wrote on X:

“In scouting, it’s all about patterns, traits, and tendencies. Nobody wants to talk about this, but Jayden Daniels is on RGIII’s career trajectory—that’s the direction this is trending—Daniels completion percentage plummeted last season, and the injuries are taking a toll.

For the rookie season of Daniels, Washington couldn’t ask for anything better. He gained more than 3,500 yards and scored 25 touchdowns while completing a record of 12-5. This was indeed a good sign for his fans, but his second season was barely the same.

The young talent managed only 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games after suffering injuries. It started with a knee sprain in the Week 2 loss against the Green Bay Packers, which cost him two games. Then, in October 2025, he suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter after being sacked by the Cowboys’ Shemar James, limping off the field and missing another game.

The most alarming moment came in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, when Daniels dislocated his left elbow and was forced to miss three games. And just when it seemed like he was finding his footing again, he re-injured that same elbow during the Week 14 game against the Minnesota Vikings, ending his night early once more. Unfortunately, Griffin’s journey went along the same lines, too.

His downfall did not happen overnight either. His career took a downward spiral when he suffered a torn ACL and LCL during a playoff game against the Seahawks in 2013. He just didn’t get back to himself ever again after the injury. The injuries piled up, the performances dropped off, and within a few years, Kirk Cousins had taken his place under center.

The parallels were loud enough that Daniels’ mother felt the need to step in. In October, she took to social media with a pointed message for fans, drawing the Griffin III comparison.

“I wish you would stop manifesting RGIII on my son,” Regina Jackson’s X post read.

The good news is that Daniels is not sitting around feeling sorry for himself. Following the first OTA practice of the 2026 offseason, he spoke about what is driving him forward.

“I mean, I don’t think in this profession, if you don’t feel like you don’t have something to prove, that you shouldn’t be doing it,” Daniels said.

Head coach Dan Quinn backed him up, calling his quarterback a relentless competitor as the team transitions into a new under-center offensive scheme. The revamped offense is expected to feature more motion, creative personnel groupings, and concepts designed to take pressure off Daniels while opening things up for playmakers like Terry McLaurin, Chig Okonkwo, and newcomer Antonio Williams.

Jayden Daniels is not Robert Griffin III, and his story doesn’t have to end the same way. But the warning signs are real, and the smartest thing the Commanders can do is make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Even Griffin said the same in 2025.

“I believe that he will bounce back as long as they give him the proper amount of time to fully heal,” he said, refusing to believe Daniels’ career was in jeopardy.

He mentioned how the Washington team isn’t the same today as it was during his time. So, he only hopes for the best.