Kobe LeBron Steph Brady advising Commanders Jayden Daniels - ESPN

ASHBURN, Va. — Shortly after midnight in the wake of Washington's Week 8 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Jayden Daniels exited his news conference and channeled one of his idols. Instead of driving home, Daniels took an hourlong detour to the Commanders' practice facility.

He had more work to do.

For approximately two and a half hours, Daniels worked in near silence. He lifted weights under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Chad Englehart. The only sounds in the building came from the two men: their conversation and the clanking of weights.

Daniels, who grew up as a massive Kobe Bryant fan, is well aware the Los Angeles Lakers legend used to work out at 4 a.m., hours before anyone else arrived. It was part of the «Mamba Mentality,» a phrase based on Bryant's Black Mamba nickname. And now, Daniels has adopted similar habits in his quest to tap into his potential.

«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.»

That includes talking to as many people as possible about how they succeeded, picking up tips along the way. Daniels has done so since entering the NFL as the No. 2 pick in 2024. He says it is not about trying to insert himself into the circles of famous people. It's about learning what made them great, or how they overcame injuries, scrutiny and adversity early in their careers — situations with which Daniels has experience.

In Washington, he leaned on Super Bowl winner and future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner in their two seasons together. He has tapped into Hall of Fame quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew