Commanders Get Worrisome Jayden Daniels Comparison from Cam Newton
The Washington Commanders have seen some historic rookie seasons. A most wonderful example? In 2012, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III took the NFL by storm.
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Thanks to RGIII's heroics, Washington won the NFC East as part of a major turnaround. The hope was that the signal-callers' stardom was only just beginning.
Football fans know the rest of the story.
Injuries derailed a once-promising career, and RGIII became a journeyman.
The lessons learned from that experience have some people worried about what could eventually happen to Washington's new star quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Much like RGIII, Daniels is a Heisman Trophy winner and was the second overall pick from his draft class.
While Daniels did not win the NFC East in his first year, he helped get Washington to the conference championship game for the first time in three decades.
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So the similarities - right down to their relatively slight builds - are close enough.
Those similarities (and differences) are a big reason former league MVP Cam Newton detailed on his latest "Funky Fridays with Cam Newton" podcast why there should be some concern about what could happen to Daniels in Year 2.
"There's nobody who had the game in a chokehold like Robert Griffin III," Newton said. "RG3 comes in, has an unbelievable year, and it's like, 'Hold up, he's next."
And then, of course, suddenly ... he wasn't.
Now, just because Griffin got beaten up and into decline doesn't mean it has to happen again. Maybe a better angle is that it's a cautionary tale for Washington, which should feel both thrilled about its new quarterback and focused on keeping him healthy.
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Related: Giants' Malik Nabers Talks 'Smack' About Commanders Instant Rivalry
Related: Commanders Urged to Sign Three-Time Pro Bowler to Add To Dan Quinn's Defense
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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