Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Breaks Robert Griffin III’s NFL Rookie QB Rushing Record
B/R
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels surpassed Robert Griffin III for the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in NFL history during the team’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Jayden Daniels has passed RGIII for the most rush YDS by a rookie QB 🔥
Special. 💎 pic.twitter.com/vgMBvIquHm
Washington Commanders PR @Wash_PR
QB Jayden Daniels (820) has passed Robert Griffin III (815) for the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
The record-breaking moment came on a seven-yard run with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter, pushing Daniels to 820 total rushing yards. In 2012, Griffin set the previous mark with 815 rushing yards during his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign for Washington.
Griffin also guided the team to an NFC East title, leading it to a 9-6 finish while completing 65.6 percent of his passes.
No one was more excited for the rookie than RGIII himself.
Robert Griffin III @RGIII
I wanted Jayden Daniels to break my rookie rushing record because I’m not about rooting against the next generation. He EARNED IT. He is the FUTURE. Some of these old heads need to stop drinking all that haterade and lift up these young guys instead of tearing them down. pic.twitter.com/SesP9KTdpM
In addition, Daniels moved past Kirk Cousins for the second-most combined single-season passing and rushing yards by a quarterback in franchise history with 4,281, per the Commanders. Cousins had previously held second place with 4,272 combined yards in 2017.
Washington Commanders PR @Wash_PR
QB Jayden Daniels has registered 4,281 combined yards (passing and rushing) and has passed Kirk Cousins (4,272 in 2017) for No. 2 in franchise history in most combined yards by a quarterback in a single season in franchise history.
Before the season, Daniels expressed his ambition to join some of the league’s elite rushing quarterbacks, such as Lamar Jackson and 2001’s No. 1 pick Michael Vick, per CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo.
An even higher goal—he aims to surpass them.
“[Vick] was the first, but I think Lamar’s got him now,” Daniels told DeArdo prior to the draft. “I’m in the league now, so I’m trying to go past them.”
In his final season at LSU, Daniels ran for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns, becoming the first FBS player to rush for at least 200 yards and throw for 350 in the same game, per DeArdo. It is no surprise he has taken the NFL by a rushing storm.
