As he will likely find out very soon, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been gaining admirers with every game he’s played in a brilliant rookie season.
Count Kansas City Chiefs tight end and 3-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce among those admirers.
Kelce issued a direct challenge to Daniels on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother and co-host, Jason Kelce, on January 29 following the Commanders’ 55-23 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game and will face the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on February 9 in New Orleans. Kansas City is trying to become the first team in NFL history win 3 consecutive Super Bowls.
“Unfortunately for Eagles fans, this is going to be something that’s going to be a pain in the ass for awhile over there with Jayden Daniels,” said Jason Kelce, who played 13 seasons at center for the Eagles and retired following the 2023 season.
“We’ll see,” Travis Kelce said. “There have been a lot of quarterbacks that have one really good year as their first year … Jayden, that’s a challenge to you, brother. I want to see it. I know I want to see it. I’m a fan.”
Daniels Turned Franchise Around in 2024
The Commanders went from a 4-13 record in 2023 to a 12-5 record in 2024, their first playoff win since 2005 and first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991 thanks largely to the addition of Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Daniels was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie and the odds-on favorite to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after he threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while also rushing for 891 yards and 6 touchdowns.
In 3 playoff games, Daniels threw for 822 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception while rushing for 135 yards and 1 touchdown.
That did little to comfort Daniels following the loss to the Eagles.
“This sucks. This (expletive) sucks. Excuse my language but I couldn’t be prouder of my guys,” Daniels told reporters following the game.
Kelce One of NFL’s All-Time Greatest Players
Whether the Chiefs win a third Super Bowl title in a row, Travis Kelce has already cemented has status as one of the greatest football players of all time.
An almost surefire first ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, Kelce is a 7-time NFL All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler who owns the NFL records for most playoff receptions (174), most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons by a tight end (7) and most 1,000-yard receiving seasons by a tight end (7).
He also set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season with 1,416 yards in 2020 — and did so in just 15 games. The Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in his career.
The “New Heights” podcast — named for the Kelce brothers childhood home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio — has become one of the most popular podcasts in the world since it debuted in September 2022.
“New Heights” was named Sports Illustrated’s Sports Podcast of the Year in 2022 and the brothers sold the rights to Amazon in August 2024 for a deal worth a reported $100 million.
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