Jayden Daniels, the 24-year-old rookie quarterback for the Washington Commanders, has taken the NFL by storm this season, leading his team to an impressive 12-5 regular-season record and into the NFC Championship Game. A key part of Daniels‘ rapid success is his cutting-edge secret weapon: virtual reality (VR).
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has embraced a unique preparation method to sharpen his skills, using VR technology as part of his daily routine.
Daniels credits this innovative approach with helping him excel in his first NFL season, which has already included several stunning playoff performances.
A rookie sensation in Washington
The Commanders have experienced a remarkable turnaround in Daniels‘ debut year, following a dismal 4-13 record in 2023. With Daniels at the helm, they not only secured a winning record for the first time since 2016 but also made an improbable postseason run.
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After edging out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in the Wild Card Round, Washington pulled off a shocking upset over the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions. The Commanders exploded offensively, putting up 45 points against Detroit’s defense, with Daniels leading the charge. He threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, adding 51 rushing yards to his stat line.
Now, with just one win standing between them and a Super Bowl berth, Daniels‘ preparation routine is drawing as much attention as his on-field performance.
Daniels‘ groundbreaking use of VR was first highlighted during the season by CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson. According to Wolfson, Daniels starts each day at 6 a.m. with a VR headset, immersing himself in game scenarios meticulously prepared by Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Kingsbury described the VR system as “a flight simulator for quarterbacks,” providing Daniels with a virtual version of the opposing defense and play schemes.
Daniels elaborated on the benefits of the technology during an interview on the All Facts No Brakes podcast, explaining how the VR system mimics real-life situations.
“It’s like in real life. They load in the stadium that you’re playing in,” Daniels said.
“I’ll get in there and they’ll probably give me seven seconds to know the play. Presnap I got to basically see the coverage and know where I’m going with the football all before the play clock runs out.
“It’s the actual scheme. Say we are playing a big Cover 3 team, they have different versions of Cover 3 we might see. So it is just like another way to prepare mentally before the game.”
Daniels first began using VR technology during his college career at LSU, where he honed the skills that would make him one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the draft.