Jayden Daniels Dishes on Kobe, LeBron, Tom Brady, Steph Curry's Impact on His 'Chase for Greatness'

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is drawing inspiration from a few all-time great athletes to reach his potential.

After Washington defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, Daniels went directly to the team's practice facility to work with Commanders strength and conditioning coach Chad Englehart, according to ESPN's John Keim.

That's a habit he picked up from studying his favorite athlete, Kobe Bryant.

"It's just the work ethic and the obsession to want to be better and obviously wanting to win," Daniels said. "As I got to learn more about the Mamba Mentality ... Kobe is a huge inspiration for me. You do whatever it takes to win."

The third-year quarterback has also built relationships with all-time great quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and all-time great NBA players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

"I have conversations with [LeBron James] all the time," Daniels said. "... Just to hear a perspective of somebody so great that's been at the peak of the sport and media since he came in the league, and how he dealt with pressure and scrutiny."

Daniels was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he immediately justified his draft position by leading Washington to an NFC Championship Game appearance and earning 2024 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Since then, Daniels has dealt with his fair share of adversity. The 26-year-old started just seven games in 2025, and his 2026 season has been marred by more injuries and questionable late-game decisions.

"All the great ones have overcome adversity at some point," Daniels said. "Everybody has to deal with it. It's good to just hear a perspective of how other people dealt with it."

The Commanders are heading into a divisional matchup against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. Their last game against the Giants ended in a tie after Daniels was unable to clock the ball for a potential game-winning field goal.