Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary locked up the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award

Jayden Daniels was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner before he outplayed Caleb Williams Sunday and completed an incredible 52-yard Hail Mary to lift the Washington Commanders to a win over the Chicago Bears.

After the 18-15 win, we might as well hand him the award now.

The NFL season is only eight weeks old, but Daniels has paced the OROY race the entire time. Barring an injury that forces him out of action, that’s not likely to change. Daniels’ odds at BetMGM moved from -140 to win the award entering the Chicago game to -400 coming out. Williams took a steep drop from +105 to +950.

I feel confident calling the race now. It’s over.

If there was anyone who had a chance at potentially catching Daniels, it was Williams, who had the Bears on a three-game winning streak after a slow start to his NFL career. Daniels ended that, and it may only get tougher for Chicago, which has the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule.

However, it wasn’t simply a win and the signature game-winning moment that distinguished Daniels from Williams and the rest of the rookie field. It was his performance. He thoroughly outplayed Williams, completing 21-of-38 passes for 326 yards and running for another 52 yards. Williams was just 10-of-24 for 131 yards and 41 rushing yards.

Of course, it helps that the Commanders are also winning. They’re 6-2, which not only makes Daniels a stronger OROY favorite, it makes him a fringe MVP candidate. His +900 odds are fifth best at BetMGM.

With the Offensive Rookie of the Year award locked up, that’s the next place to check for value on the Washington quarterback.