Here’s what Terry McLaurin thinks of Commanders’ Jayden Daniels

Every spectacular Broadway show has an encore, and Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels is coming to Broadway.

After his Hail Mary touchdown to beat Chicago in thrilling fashion, Daniels and Washington (6-2) square off against the New York Giants (2-6) in MetLife Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

According to Adam Schefter, for the first time this century, players want to wind up in Washington – asking their teams to trade them to the Commanders. Veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin is already there, and he gave high praise to his team after a victory that he feels will help moving forward.

“You can just feel the energy going on to the field each and every day because we look forward to getting better and we know it’s going to show up in winning moments like it did last week,” McLaurin told Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show on Tuesday. “All the training we put in since the offseason started is really starting to show up in different ways. And so, when you’re doing that and you’re doing it with a group of guys you really love going to work with, it makes it really fun. And then when you’re making plays, too, and helping your team win, that’s always the cherry on top.”

The cherry was a drop – by Giants prized rookie Malik Nabers on a crucial fourth down with two minutes remaining in the game – when Washington played New York in Week 2. Daniels then drove down the field for what would be his first career game-winning drive and first NFL victory, 18-15.

Fast forward 7 weeks and this Washington team is a lot different than what New York faced earlier in the season. The Commanders have a chance to keep their lead atop the NFC East with a win and, feeding off belief and trust in one another, the team is trending upward.

The team was trending downward earlier in McLaurin’s career, but the Pro Bowl receiver kept that “never quit” mentality and is ultimately realizing the benefits of it now, alongside his new quarterback and Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

But Daniels reminds no one of a rookie. Washington is only the fourth team since 1950 to win six of its first eight games of a season with a rookie starting quarterback, joining the 2016 Dallas Cowboys (Dak Prescott), 2011 Cincinnati Bengals (Andy Dalton) and 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger). McLaurin told Adams that Daniels has a veteran presence that has made things fun.

“He’s about not only making himself better but the team around him better,” said McLaurin, who has 40 receptions for 579 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. “And he’s got an infectious personality to where you believe when he’s back there we have a chance to make any kind of play and no game is out of reach.”