Kurt Warner is one of the best success stories in NFL history. Undrafted in 1994 out of Northern Iowa, Warner spent years playing in the Arena League and stocking the bench before finally making it big in 1999 with the St. Louis Rams.
In his first three seasons in the NFL, Warner was a two-time All-Pro, two-time MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. He wrestled in 2002 and 2003, spending one season New York Giants in 2004 and ended his career in Arizona Cardinals from 2005-09
Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. After his retirement, Warner remained active in the media, including work with the NFL Network. Warner also has a YouTube channel where he talks about playing quarterback in the NFL.
On Monday, Warner posted on X using the term “sophomore slump” for analysis. Washington commanders guard Jayden Daniels.
In subsequent posts while interacting with fans, Warner was bold in his stance, even posting next video Daniels from his Week 9 assessment against the Seattle Seahawks.
Warner said nothing egregious about Daniels. He didn't say he was terrible or anything, but he also didn't give context to some of the things Daniels faced in 2025.
In the game Warner rated, Daniels dislocated his elbow in the fourth quarter as Washington trailed by 31 points, sparking controversy over whether he should have been in the game at that point.
Let's return to Warner's criticism. If anyone has looked at all of Washington's snaps since Week 1, it's clear that something is wrong with Daniels. He wasn't as accurate as last season. However, Daniels' numbers weren't bad. In six starts, he completed nearly 63% of his passes for 1,184 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.
While Warner's video broke down several of Daniels' Sunday games, it didn't take into account who Daniels threw to. Daniels was without star receiver Terry McLaurin except for the first two games. McLaurin missed offseason work, training camp and the preseason because he had disagreements with the team over his contract. Upon returning, he was injured in week three.
Washington's projected third receiver, Noah Brown, has been out since Week 2. Deebo Samuel, Commanders' The No. 2 receiver and more of a gadget player than a traditional outside receiver also missed the game. Austin Ekeler, Washington's starting running back and one of the best receiving backs in the NFL, went down for the year in Week 2. Each week, the Chiefs move up their practice squads — sometimes multiple times — to ensure they have enough receivers available on game day.
Chris Moore led Washington against Seattle. The Commanders released Moore this summer and he began the season on the practice squad. Robbie Chozen, who signed in October and started against Dallas last month, led the Commanders in receptions against the Cowboys in Week 7.
So, while much of what Warner said is true, sometimes about Daniels being a little hesitant or holding the ball too long, it requires context. Washington's running game has been one of the best in the NFL in six weeks. In recent weeks, teams have loaded the box, tied with the host Commanders and dared Daniels to beat them. He didn't. Why? Because his receivers rarely win one-on-one matches.
Part of that falls on GM Adam Peters. Finding a reliable outside receiver opposite McLaurin was a top priority this offseason. Washington could add Samuel and thereby gain another outside threat. Instead, they relied on the injury-prone Brown.
In some of the clips Warner used in his assessment of Daniels, much of what he called open was quick dumps into the apartment. Seattle hid Washington's receivers. Additionally, the Seahawks pressured Daniels on nearly 60 percent of his returns, the most he has seen since entering the NFL. So whether Daniels held the ball too long or not was understandable given the constant pressure he faced against Seattle's top-notch defense.
These days, analysts—even good ones—too often use buzzwords to describe what they see. “Sophomore slump, struggle, bummer” were just some of the words Warner used in his assessment of Daniels. In his review of Daniels' Sunday recording, Warner gave some very good examples of what he was trying to express. He also confirmed what every Washington fan and analyst has been saying about Daniels all season: He needs help. If you watch every clip provided by Warned, you will see very few examples of Daniels simply missing wide open receivers rushing down the field.
Daniels set the bar so high during his rookie season. At times, he almost single-handedly carried the Commanders to places they had not been for 33 years. Daniels' remarkable play also set Washington back this year because Peters and head coach Dan Quinn decided to play with the old lineup rather than continue to build around their star quarterback. To be fair, Peters has invested significant resources into an offensive line that is still shaping up and will be fine long-term.
As for Daniels, we'll have to wait and see if his 2025 season continues. At 3-6, the Commanders have little chance of making the playoffs, so keeping Daniels out for the rest of the season to get him healthy for 2026 might be the right move.
