by: Dan Morrison 7 hours ago dan_morrison96
It’s déjà vu for Washington Commanders fans. Jayden Daniels had an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024, only to follow it up with an injury-riddled second season in the NFL, prompting fears that he could be following down the same path as former star Robert Griffin III .
Griffin has heard the comparisons between their two stories. However, for the time being, he doesn’t want to see their situations as being similar. After all, he wants to stay positive about the future for Daniels.
“Nope,” Robert Griffin III said. “I am a positive thinker. Okay? I believe that he will bounce back, as long as they give him the proper amount of time to fully heal. Everyone keeps mentioning me on social media, going into all these diatribes about how they’re comparing my situation to Jayden Daniels, but they’re really not even close to the same.”
It’s hard not to see the similarities. In 2012, Washington selected Griffin second overall and he’d go on to become the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and led them to the playoffs. However, he suffered a knee injury and took a step back in terms of on-field success. A mix of injury issues and reduced play took its toll, ending his time in Washington and his NFL career early. Daniels, meanwhile, was the second overall pick in 2024, won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and went to the playoffs. Now, in year two, he’s battling multiple injury issues.
The coincidences continue. Daniels was injured on the same field, against the same team, and on the same yard line as Griffin. Still, that’s all Griffin thinks it is for now, a coincidence.