Rating the rookies: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels races ahead of class with hot start
It must have been hard for the Bears to watch Monday night as the head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback they bypassed lit up the scoreboard in the Commanders’ 38-33 win over the Bengals.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is off to the hot start the Bears hoped Caleb Williams would enjoy and he’s thriving under coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Williams has been hit and miss, Daniels is cooking, Bo Nix is boring and, hey, Drake Maye finally got to play. Here’s how the first-round picks did:
No. 1 overall pick: Bears QB Caleb Williams
Williams completed 33 of 52 passes for 363 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for an 80.8 passer rating against the Colts. It was the most yardage by a Bears quarterback in eight years, but inefficient and came with three turnovers in a game they lost 21-16.
No. 2 overall pick: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels set a rookie record for completion percentage with 21-of-23 passing for 254 yards and two touchdown passes, plus he ran 12 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. His 111.8 passer rating for the season is fourth in the NFL.
No. 3 overall pick: Patriots QB Drake Maye
Maye got mop-up action against the Jets and completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. He’s gaining momentum to take over as the starter, though veteran Jacoby Brissett is likely to start Sunday against the 49ers.
No. 12 overall pick: Broncos QB Bo Nix
Nix is still seeking his first touchdown pass, and the Broncos are 1-2. He played cleanly, though, in a 26-7 win over the Buccaneers by completing 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards with no turnovers and ran nine times for 47 yards and a touchdown.