With Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels, the future of both the NFC East and NFC Conference is in great hands.
These young Black quarterbacks showed fans what they could do during Sunday’s NFC Conference championship game, and in a win and loss, respectively, football fans should be excited at what they witnessed.
Hurts silenced critics who questioned his talents as he threw for 246 yards and 1 TD while also rushing for 16 yards and 3 TDs. Most importantly, he didn’t have any turnovers.
“That’s how you get to Super Bowls,” said Eagles star and NFL rushing champ, Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 118 yards and 3 TDs on Sunday.
While the Commanders won’t be moving on to New Orleans to face the Chiefs, Washington had an amazing season, one that saw Jayden Daniels lead the team from 4-13 to 12-5 in his rookie season.
Daniels proved he was the right selection for the team as he threw for 255 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT (the late-game interception came when the game was already determined) and rushed for 48 yards and 1 TD.
While Daniels’ performance wasn’t enough to overcome the team’s turnovers and a more complete Eagles team, it was enough to prove that Daniels will be a star for many years to come. Not only did he improve the Commander by 8 regular-season wins, he led them to their first postseason appearance since 2016 and was one win away from becoming the first rookie QB to start in a Super Bowl in NFL history.
The Eagles will now head to New Orleans to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, where Hurts and Mahomes became the first two Black starting Super Bowl QBs in NFL history.
There are many storylines for the big game.
Hurts and the Eagles are out for revenge, especially after Hurts outplayed Mahomes in 2023 until his one single turnover changed the game. He’s also aiming to be only the fourth Black QB to win a Super Bowl (Doug Williams, Russell Wilson and Mahomes). It’s also Saquon’s chance for a ring after spending six frustrating years with the Giants.
For the Chiefs, it’s a chance for the team to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat. For Mahomes, it’s a chance to move ahead of Tom Brady and become the GOAT as he would become the first QB to three-peat while winning his fourth title in six years.
While Washington didn’t live out a dream season, it’s clear to all that Jayden Daniels is the present and future of the franchise.
When you look at the NFC East, and NFC Conference as a while, Daniels and Hurts are two of the brightest young stars.
And at only 24 and 26 years of age, respectively, they’ll be stars for many years to come.
