The rookie quarterback behind one of the NFL’s most unforgettable Hail Mary passes in history said that he credits God for the stunning game-winning moment. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels heaved a 52-yard touchdown pass to teammate Noah Brown on the final play of the game Sunday, October 27th, giving the Commanders an improbable 18-15 victory over a Chicago team that had taken the lead with just 25 seconds left and seemed on the cusp of a major win. Instead, it was Daniels — college football’s Heisman winner in 2023 out of LSU — who stole the show.
The Hail Mary may go down as the most memorable play of the 2024 NFL season.
Daniels had nursed a rib injury all week and was listed as questionable heading into the game.
Asked to describe the final play, Daniels told a national CBS television audience, “Nothing but God. Man, nothing but God. Without Him, I didn’t even think I’d be playing this week. But man, all glory to God.”
Daniels said much of the week was spent in the training room, healing his ribs: “A lot of long hours, long days, but I put myself in the position to go out here. But like I said, nothing but God.”
The victory placed the Commanders alone in first place in the NFC East and him in the conversation for the league’s MVP.
Daniels, 23, often discusses his Christian faith in interviews and on social media. After a win over the New York Giants this year, Daniels posted a Bible verse on his Instagram account. “‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight’ Proverbs 3:5-6,'” he wrote.
Prior to April’s NFL draft, he wrote in a column for The Players Tribune, “I feel like everything God has put me through has prepared me for a moment like this.”
Asked during the Heisman Trophy Award broadcast on ESPN last year what advice he would give young people, Daniels responded, “Always believe in yourself—no matter the doubters, no matter what people say about you, just believe in yourself. Lean on your faith with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and just keep working.” Later, he called God “my Rock, my Savior.”