Jayden Daniels just did something you almost never see. The Washington Commanders quarterback sent LSU an official cease-and-desist letter demanding the school stop using his name, image, and likeness.
The reason? LSU gave cornerback DJ Pickett Daniels’ old No. 5 jersey, and Daniels apparently was not okay with it.
Daniels’ representative sent the letter to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, according to reports. Daniels feels “profoundly disrespected” by LSU’s decision to reassign the No. 5 to Pickett, the number Daniels wore during his 2022 and 2023 seasons at LSU when he won the 2023 Heisman Trophy.
Pickett will be the first LSU player to wear No. 5 since Daniels left for the NFL. The jersey number, importantly, was never officially retired by the school.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin explained the situation. Pickett was promised the opportunity to wear No. 5 back in December 2024 when he signed with LSU. That commitment happened when Brian Kelly was still coaching the Tigers. So this decision to give the number to Pickett was actually made by Kelly’s coaching staff before Kiffin took over.
Daniels’ argument is that he made LSU a lot of money in that jersey. He won a Heisman Trophy, he led LSU to a New Year’s Six bowl, and he became the face of the program during his two years in Baton Rouge. The idea of watching another player wear his number, potentially profiting off the association with him via NIL deals, apparently crossed a line.
The reaction to Daniels’ move has been mixed at best. Most of college football Twitter has piled on the letter as being unnecessarily combative. NBC’s Peter King called it “over the top.” Even some Commanders fans have publicly said Daniels overreacted.
There’s a simple point being made by the critics: Joe Burrow’s jersey wasn’t retired either. Neither was Justin Jefferson’s. Neither was Ja’Marr Chase’s. LSU has produced first-round pick after first-round pick, and the school simply doesn’t retire jersey numbers unless a player reaches an incredibly high bar. Daniels expecting his number to be treated differently is asking for special treatment that no other recent LSU star has gotten.
The cease-and-desist angle is what really makes this feel excessive. Daniels could have just made a phone call, expressed his displeasure, and moved on. Instead, he escalated to formal legal correspondence. That’s the kind of move that goes viral for all the wrong reasons.
Daniels is coming off a fantastic rookie season with the Commanders where he threw for over 3,500 yards, rushed for close to 900, and led Washington to their best season in years. He’s one of the brightest young stars in the NFL and now he’s caught up in a story about a college jersey number.
The optics matter. This is exactly the type of story that follows a player around all season if things start to go sideways. If Daniels struggles in Week 2, this LSU letter becomes a talking point. It becomes a “look at what he’s worried about instead of football” narrative on national broadcasts.
DJ Pickett didn’t do anything wrong. He accepted a jersey number that his coaching staff offered him. He’s not trying to steal Daniels’ legacy or profit off his name. He’s a freshman cornerback trying to play college football.
Daniels made his point. Whether he needed to make it this loudly is a different question.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
