After leading the Washington Commanders to their first playoff win in nearly 20 years, rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels attributed his success on the football field to his trust in God.
During a postgame interview with NBC following the Commanders’ 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night, Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was asked how he remained “so calm” and “so poised.” He led his team on a game-winning drive that began with just over four minutes to play in the fourth quarter and culminated in a field goal as time expired.
“Trust in the Lord God,” the 24-year-old frontrunner for NFL Rookie of the Year replied. “There’s nothing I should worry about, man. Put all my worries on Him.”
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The athlete expressed confidence that “He’ll take care of the rest.”
Daniels’ comments were not the only mention of Christianity in NBC Sports’ postgame interview with Daniels and two other Commanders team leaders.
Veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner asked: “Can we send our thoughts and prayers out to California and L.A.,” referring to the wildfire-ravaged city of Los Angeles, his hometown. He assured those impacted by the wildfires that members of the team were “thinking about” them, adding “God bless.”
The victory marked Washington’s first NFL playoff win since the then-Redskins beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10 on Jan. 7, 2006.
Throughout his career, Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy as the top college football player in the 2023 season, has not hesitated to share his Christian faith.
Following a last-second victory against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 27 as a result of his successful orchestration of a Hail Mary touchdown pass, Daniels remarked, “Nothing but God, man.”
“Without Him, I don’t even think I’d be playing this week,” the former Louisiana State University star insisted, referring to an injury he suffered the week before that threatened to keep him off the field.
He reflected on how his recovery followed “a lot of long hours, long days.” After declaring, “I put myself in the position to go out there,” Daniels once again used the phrase “nothing but God” and gave “all glory to God.”
Following a September victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football that ESPN attributed to a “flawless” performance on his part, Daniels said he wanted to “give credit to my receiver and my running backs and most importantly, give credit to God.”
When informed that he had secured “the highest [completion percentage] for a rookie ever in the history of this league,” Daniels responded, “Give glory to God, man.”
“I wouldn’t be in this position without Him,” Daniels asserted. “So I can’t do nothing without Him.”
The Commanders, who finished the season 12-5, will play the Detroit Lions on Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit finished as the top-seeded team in the National Football Conference with a 15-2 record.
The winner of that faceoff will advance to the NFC Championship on Jan. 26. The winner of the NFC will face the winner of the American Football Conference Championship in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
