Tom Brady recently made a fascinating comparison between Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and famous golfer Tiger Woods, highlighting the athletes’ unique confidence and poise under pressure.
Jayden Daniels went second in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is quickly turning into a star in the league.
His rookie season has been fantastic, as he posted incredible numbers: 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 891 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns.
His play has guided the Commanders into the postseason for the first time since 2020 and established him as one of the most promising young quarterbacks in recent history.
On January 18, 2025, in a surprising playoff game against the Detroit Lions, Daniels passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns with 51 yards rushing.
The Commanders won 45-31 against the Lions as they had an explosive offense, which made five Lion turnovers worthwhile. It was the team’s first playoff victory since 2005.
Tom Brady Compared Jayden Daniels’ Calmness In Tough Situations To That Of A Young Tiger Woods
In a recent episode of his podcast “Let’s Go!“, Tom Brady spoke about confidence being key to an athlete’s success.
He compared Jayden Daniels’ composure in tense situations to a young Tiger Woods.
In the podcast, Brady noted-:
“Even though Jayden Daniels is just a rookie, he has that poise and confidence.”
Via Let’s Go
And he continued-:
“Look at a young Tiger Woods. He had never proven on the big stage that he was ready for the big moments at the Masters in 1997. But he proved that to himself in all those junior amateurs that he won. “
Via Let’s Go
He argued that just like Woods at the 1997 Masters when he won his first Major at age 22, Daniels had responded to the challenge without being overwhelmed by the moment.
Tiger Woods, considered arguably the best golfer ever to play the game, holds scores of victories in PGA tours and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Woods’ mental toughness and fierce competitiveness helped establish new standards in sports, which several young athletes wish to model their careers on.
Stacked against Brady’s similar traits, Daniels could be on that road to greatness in football as Woods is in golf.
Jayden Daniel’s Excellent Performance Has Not Gone Unnoticed By His Peers
Micah Parsons, a linebacker of the Dallas Cowboys, commented on the calmness that Daniels demonstrated during crunch time.
Parsons showed that Daniels reminded him of both Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in those situations and said-:
“In every moment it just seems like he’s never fazed. So when I see that it’s just like I can’t go against a guy like that. We’ve only seen two guys in the league that’s not fazed like that when it matters the most and that’s Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady”
Via Sportskeeda
Parsons said Daniels does not seem very rattled during those critical moments.
Another one to quote the appreciation was Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who admired his way of managing high-pressure situations-:
“Yeah, it’s extremely impressive, very impressive for anyone that young to do what he’s doing. It feels like he understands the moment and is comfortable in it and our job on defense is to try to make him uncomfortable. It’s been a challenge for a lot of teams this year, but I’m excited to see what they do, “
Via Detroit Lions
Jayden Daniels had an excellent rookie year.
He will now be the first rookie quarterback to lead a start of a Super Bowl if he gets through the conference playoffs game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
This is another level of excitement to his season.
Many other analysts and sportswriters compare Jayden Daniels to Tiger Woods himself in his confidence.
The more Daniels succeeds in the NFL, the more interest fans develop in seeing if Daniels could carve out a reputation for himself as one of the greats—as Woods did for golf.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Jayden Daniels earned the title of PFWA Rookie of the Year.
- Daniels was born on December 18, 2000, in Fontana, California, and raised in nearby San Bernardino.
- Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Trophy with the LSU Tigers, recording 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards.
