Jayden Daniels to Have Similar Impact as Anthony Edwards at Timberwolves as Ex-NFLer Backs Dan Quinn’s Commanders to Excel

Some people believe that signing Jayden Daniels has made the Commanders a playoff-ready team. Per Louis Reddick, a former Commanders executive, Daniels draws parallels to Anthony Edwards, who has carried the Minnesota Timberwolves to the postseason for the past two years. Edwards’ leadership comes second to none and that’s what people expect of Jayden Daniels.

John Keim and Louis Reddick had a few things to say about Anthony Edwards’ authenticity and how they see the same things in Jayden Daniels. Reddick described Edwards as having an “authentic nature and that authentic youthful quality,” which has led the Timberwolves to become the talk of the town.

Reddick added how Edwards is unapologetically himself, not in a controversial way, but in a manner that presents him in the best light. “Anthony Edwards has it [authenticity] and that’s why the Minnesota Timberwolves are the team that everybody wants to watch right now,” said Reddick.

He further added, “Jayden has that, and I believe that as we go through the summer and you guys get in the training camp and he starts playing games, it’s going to it’s going to ignite that whole area of the country in a way that hasn’t been ignited before.” He went on to compare Daniels with RGIII, Patrick Ramsey, and Jason Campbell and implied that Daniels surpasses these QBs.

Daniels set rushing records during his college career in a game against Florida where he threw for more than 300 yards and rushed the ball for more than 200 yards, setting an FSB record that no one has broken in a while. He completed his last season at LSU with 1,134 yards, more than any QB of the 2024 class. The Commanders QB relies on his off-brand football and feels confident about his leadership.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Daniels mentioned how “everybody’s looking at you to lead them. So, if you worry about other stuff, you can’t execute the offense at a high level,” and that he wanted to “figure out ways to lead grow men that have family coming in the league.”

To deliver on the promises, Jayden Daniels is already hard at work in the OTAs, and Dan Quinn attested to the QBs behavior, leadership, and drive to move forward.

Similarities between Jayden Daniels and Anthony Edwards

Quinn is giving Daniels a chance to adjust himself to the team. The QB who participated in the OTAs just threw a couple of passes without any “team elements.” But over the coming days, Daniels would be subjected to 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 pressure to see how he’s doing. “I think what jumps not only off the field but tape here what you guys don’t see in the meeting room is just the competitive nature and learning and the command that he has already. So that’s something that speaks to his work ethic,” said Quinn of the QB

The LSU Tigers ended their season 10-3 in the Southeastern Conference and ranked third in the SEC West in the last season, just behind Alabama and Ole Miss. Luke McCaffrey, CMC’s brother, who is now drafted in the Commanders as their new WR had praises to sing of Jayden Daniels.

“He’s a stud,” exclaimed Luke McCaffrey. “I know he’s one heck of a quarterback and a lot of fun to play with from a personality standpoint. I’ve had a blast in these 24 hours with him. He’s just fun to be around; he’s good energy.” This “energy” is very similar to what Anthony Edwards brings to the table at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“He sets a confidence level for a lot of guys,” Edwards’ teammate Mike Conley Jr. said. “He could’ve had 40 points, and he’s talking about the plays Nickeil made, Rudy made me or anybody else. That’s pretty cool he feels that way about us and he’s celebrating our success.”

A recent StarTribune article mentioned how Anthony Edwards brings everyone together by making fun of himself and others. The Timberwolves’ locker room chemistry has never been better, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker has never laughed so hard.

“He’s gonna make fun of himself. He’s gonna make fun of everybody,” said Alexander-Walker. Jayden Daniels brings the same attitude to the team and he already expressed his intentions to “prove something” to his opponents. Chemistry is very important to a team’s success and both Daniels and Edwards proved time and again that their relationship with their teams holds utmost importance.