EXCLUSIVE: Joe Theismann on Jayden Daniels’ Development, Brandon Aiyuk Rumors, Tom Brady’s Broadcasting, Mount Rushmore of NFL QBs
As a former NFL MVP, Super Bowl Champion, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL Man of the Year, two-time Pro Bowler, and two-time CFL All-Star, Joe Theismann is an NFL legend.
From July 10-12, Theismann will be one of many legends competing in the American Century Championship, which Theismann refers to as a “legends conference” because of the star-studded field. The celebrity golf tournament is held at Edgewood Tahoe Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Nev., and it airs on NBC and Peacock.
PFN recently caught up with Theismann to discuss the Washington Commanders’ offseason, Jayden Daniels’ development, his Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks, the Cleveland Browns’ QB battle, Tom Brady’s progression as a broadcaster, the American Century Championship, and much more.
One-on-One With NFL Legend Joe Theismann
What did you see from Jayden Daniels last season, and what does he need to do to take the next step in his development?
Joe Theismann: “He’s a hardworking young man. I’ve watched him in practice. I get out to the facility every now and then, and I just like his approach to the game. And I know with all the injuries that he had and how disappointing it was for him, I mean, he’s a great competitor. And that’s the thing: you don’t do anybody any good standing on the sidelines or being in the training room. I mean, Jayden’s going to learn how to protect himself, which he’s done better and better. I think the system is going to protect him, too.
“Now, David Blough has taken over as the offensive coordinator. I think you’ll see him under center a little bit more, getting the ball out of his hands a little bit quicker, and not taking the shots that he took throughout the course of the year last year. I still see him as an athlete. He’s still going to run, he’s still going to do the things that he’s done, but I think he’s going to be a much wiser quarterback. The mental part of the game will be even a little bit more attuned than it has been in the past.”
There’s been some talk about the Commanders potentially adding a wide receiver. Brandon Aiyuk has been mentioned as a possibility. Tyreek Hill and some others are still free agents. I know they drafted Antonio Williams, but do you think Washington should add a veteran receiver to give Jayden another weapon?
Theismann: “Terry McLaurin’s been the go-to guy, and Dyami Brown is back. You’ve got the players; it’s how do they fit into the system and what do they do with them? Terry only played on one side of the football field in the offense that was there for the last couple of years, so I expect him to be more involved in different capacities and in different ways in this particular offense. But you’re always going to see who’s available.
“Once you go through training camp, then you’ll start to see who’s available, who you think could help your football team. Is there an area that you could add a player? Absolutely. But I also think they did a great job in free agency of filling holes. They also did a terrific job in the draft with Sonny Styles as their first pick, the linebacker. So I think Adam Peters did a wonderful job assessing what he needed and then going to get it.”
There has been some pressure on the Commanders to change the team name back to the Redskins, including from President Donald Trump. You have said that you’d like to see the organization find a way to honor the old name, logo, and era. Do you think we’ll ever see them change the name back or honor that era?
Theismann: “I hope in some way, shape, or form [they do] because you’d love to see them honor the era of what we were. But I’m not a guy that lives in the past. I said this a couple years ago when they got to the NFC Championship Game; I said, ‘Look, it’s time for us to recognize these are the Commanders. This team, these young men, are called the Commanders. Let’s honor them. Let’s appreciate them. Let’s appreciate their accomplishments and move forward with who they are.’ When you’re constantly talking about name changes, I think it takes away from the fans being able to get involved.
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“Yes, there are people that are hardcore Redskins fans and have been all their life. Now, like everything else, [things change]. AI is changing the world. Are we going to get mad at it because it’s changing the world? I think you have to accept what’s out there, root for the players, root for the city, root for the colors that are the same, so at least you get a chance to get excited about the football team that’s on the field and the players that are on the field.”
Last year, you and I talked about Shedeur Sanders. What did you see from Sanders during his rookie year, and do you think he should be the Cleveland Browns’ starter this season?
Theismann: “That’s going to be something he’s going to have to earn. I mean, whether he is the starter or whether he’s not the starter, that’s going to be between all the competition. I don’t know how anybody’s able to assess quarterbacks in this day and age. You only have three preseason games. This is where practice becomes so important because the coaches have to evaluate your communication skills in the huddle, they have to check your drops, they have to check your reads. All these happen in practice now without people around your feet. You only have three games and you got, what, three quarterbacks competing for a job?
“Dillon Gabriel was the one that sort of was chosen above Shedeur. Shedeur is a very athletic quarterback. He made lots of plays last year, did some very, very unique things. How well he’ll be able to operate inside this offense, the way it is, is yet to be seen. But he’s certainly one of those guys you have to take a look at. It’s a must-see. Let me see what you got. Let me see what you do. But all the other factors. Do you know the game plan? Do you know where you’re supposed to go with the ball? What’s the command of the huddle look like? Those things you have to look out into the future a little bit and say, ‘I think that he can do this. I think he can.’ And that’s for all those guys that are there, not just him.”
Who is on your Mount Rushmore of NFL QBs?
Theismann: God… Okay, I’m going back. Otto Graham won nine championships in Cleveland, so Otto Graham would be one. Johnny Unitas was an idol of mine. Joe Namath was an idol of mine. Joe changed basically the face of football from the AFC to the NFC and really threw it on its ear. And it’s hard not to put Tom Brady up there. I mean, really, the accomplishments that Tom has been able to do as the self-proclaimed GOAT; I recently watched the Roast of Kevin Hart. (laughs) But I think those four.
“But the thing that you have to think about is the era that people play in. Were they the greatest in that era? To say that one individual is the greatest in the game is difficult because the games were different. There were shorter games, there were less people, there was less communication. The complexity wasn’t the same. It was really a simpler game back then. When I got in the league in ‘74, it was a simpler game. You had basically 11 defenses. Now, throughout the course of the game, you’re looking at 25 different defenses.
“So, the accomplishments of the players of the past should be put into a perspective of a 10- or 20-year period. From now to 2000, who’s the greatest player? From 2000 to 1980, who’s the greatest? So, 1980 to 1960. 1960 to 1940. That’s the best, and I think the fairest, way to evaluate players. To say [pick one of] Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, John Riggins, Marcus Allen… I mean, pick one? With what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve done, I mean, the list is quite endless.”
Last year, we spoke about Tom Brady as a broadcaster, and you mentioned that the limitations on him as an owner would impact his ceiling in the booth since he couldn’t go to the facility, meet with players and coaches, and so on. It feels like last year he made some strides, and the perception changed a bit. Do you think he made progress as a broadcaster, and do you remember when you kind of settled in and got comfortable and really hit your stride in broadcasting?
Theismann: “Well, I think it’s the same way in the NFL. I think you come in as a rookie in the NFL and you want to learn the offense and you want to learn how to be a professional football player. And then the second year, you learn the defenses. What are people trying to do to you? What are the areas that you have to attack? That third year, things start to make a lot more sense. You know what you want to do, you know where you want to go, and now you start getting more comfortable. I think Tom made great strides. I think Tom really progressed well. I still believe that with his ownership of the Raiders, he’s going to be limited in how much information he can share.
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“What we got from Tom last year was a wealth of knowledge from a guy that understands the game so well and presents it so well. But there are little things that you see at practice. There’s little things in talking to players that you pick up that are little nuggets that you can drop in throughout the course of a broadcast that, because of the rules and the way they’re set up, he doesn’t have the opportunity to be able to have access to those things. But I think he’s done a wonderful job, as would be expected, because he’s a pros pro. I mean, I expected nothing less, and it’s tough. In the beginning, people said I talked too much. I said, ‘Well, that’s my job! That’s what I’m getting paid for! I’m getting paid to talk, why not?!’”
You have been competing in the American Century Championship for years, and you’ll be doing so again from July 10-12 on NBC and Peacock. Every year, it’s a star-studded field. Who are you most excited to compete against and catch up with this year?
Theismann: “Well, I love to compete against Jerry Rice. I love to compete against Tim Brown. I can’t hit it as far as they can, but now it’s a chance to be able to work on my short game, which I continue to work on. Distance has become a little bit of an issue for me. That’s why you have the PGA Tour and you have the Champions Tour. I’m in the Champions Tour aspect of [the American Century Championship]. I always love to see Myles Teller; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is one of my favorite movies. I’ve seen him in a number of different movies. I didn’t realize how many. Once you meet somebody and then all of a sudden you realize how many different movies that he’s been in, and starting at a very young age. It’s always good to see Charles [Barkley]. I love catching up with Larry the Cable Guy. Travis [Kelce], I don’t think he’s going to be there this year. Of course, Patrick [Mahomes] is rehabbing, so he won’t be there. But I mean, it’s always fun seeing new guys and gals come in there. I love to see Annika [Sörenstam]. I love to try and get close to Annika on the range, so I can watch her hit balls. She’s so good.”
Is there a lot of trash talk at the American Century Championship? And do the athletes from each sport stick together and root for each other? Derek Lowe and Joe Mauer were telling me that if they don’t win, they hope another baseball legend wins it all.
Theismann: “Yeah, we all have our own little group that you want to see rise to the top. And the baseball guys, Derek’s been close a number of times. [Mardy] Fish is obviously an incredible golfer. John Smoltz, I think, may have a shot this year. It’s a couple years removed from the hip [replacement surgery] and now I think his game is obviously good. As a baseball guy, when he played, he only pitched every fourth day. Now, as a broadcaster, it’s pretty much the same thing, so you’re always going to wind up playing golf somewhere. So, I guarantee he’s played a lot of golf, so he should be ready to go!
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“Last year, we added the American Century Championship Fantasy Golf Contest. It’s accfantasygolf.com. All the players are broken into five groups based upon your ability to play, and you get to choose one person from each group on your team. If you win that particular day, which would be July 10, you get two tickets to next year’s tournament. And then you can change your team up on July 11 and July 12, if you want as well. And the ultimate winner gets an opportunity to give $10,000 to the charity of their choice.”
Everyone raves about this event and says it is the highlight of their year. What is so special about the American Century Championship, and why do you make sure to compete every year?
Theismann: “I think the people. First of all, the people that you have a chance to be around, you get to pull back the curtain on all these people you see on television, or you listen to their music, or you see ’em on the giant screen or whatever, and you get to meet the real people. That’s exciting. And obviously, the good that it does. This 2026 American Century Championship is going to be special. I mean, we’ve raised over $8 million for charities in the Tahoe area as well as the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Jonathan Thomas, who is the captain of the ship for the last two and a half decades, has done a fabulous job growing this tournament to where we will expect crowds of 70,000. The purse is up to $750,000. There’s about 80 people who are going to be able to participate in this. And NBC has been a great partner. NBC and Peacock will broadcast it on July 10-12.
“I mean, just to meet the people… I’m a big fan of a lot of things. I’m a big fan of movies. I’m a big fan of music. I’m a big fan of athletics. To be able to see and be around these people and just be sort of rub elbows, it’s exciting. And for us, it’s a chance to be able to meet the people of American Century and their customers and their clients and be able to share stories with them and find out about their lives. And, of course, the nights are just wonderful gatherings. The karaoke nights are crazy. I mean, it’s amazing what the people do when they get up and sing on stage. I mean, I can’t sing, so I don’t even try, but it’s entertaining!”
