Three years after quarterback Jayden Daniels put together a Heisman-winning season at LSU, the attitude of the fan base has taken a sharp turn.
It’s a direct result of the recent dust-up over the re-issuance of No. 5, a move to which Daniels had a strong reaction. Beyond launching a thousand jokes, it prompted many of the 100,000-plus who attended Saturday night’s Clemson-LSU game to have a strong reaction to an image of Daniels on the video board.
The ESPN college football account on Twitter has posted a clip of former LSU players in the NFL (not to be confused with former NFL players at LSU), cycling through one NFL team at a time.
When the Commanders page landed, showing Daniels and K’Lavon Chaisson, the reaction went from generally positive to loudly negative.
It’s no surprise, but it’s the first tangible piece of evidence regarding the collective fan reaction to seeing Daniels’s name and likeness.
Commanders Clips
The discussion around Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels this summer has been focused more on his jersey number at LSU than anything having to do with his current play, but that will change next weekend.
Daniels will make his first start since Week 14 of last season when the Commanders face the Eagles in Week 1 and he’ll be making his first start since the Commanders replaced offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough. When Daniels does take the field, people will be watching to see how he runs an offense that has him under center and huddling more often than in the past as well as whether he can be the dynamic player he was as a rookie without the injuries that swamped his 2025 season.
In an interview with Albert Breer of SI.com, Daniels acknowledged those questions and that he has to show he has grown as a player since taking the Commanders to the 2024 NFC Championship Game.
“Out of sight, out of mind,” Daniels said. “A lot of people, what they last saw was me getting hurt, so what can I say? I can’t live off of what was done in ’24. Obviously, salute to the other guys in my class. Drake [Maye] did what he did. So did Caleb [Williams]. So did Bo [Nix]. Hopefully, down the line, we can go down as the greatest QB class. I know we have a long way to go, but shout out to them, honestly. So I have a chance, when I get out there, in Week 1, to showcase my talents once again, and remind a lot of people.”
The ultimate success of the Commanders will come down to more than just how Daniels performs, but the quarterback’s play will have a lot to do with how the overall trajectory of the franchise is viewed after a smashing start came to a crashing end last year.
The Commanders are leaving the door open for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Johnny Newton to return to action at some point during the 2026 season.
Both players were placed on injured reserve on Monday. Waiting to make the move until after the initial 53-man roster was set allowed the Commanders to designate Tunsil and Newton for return at any point during the regular season or playoffs.
Teams are allowed to designate two players for return at the time of their initial cuts, but they used those spots on cornerback Trey Amos and running back Jeremy McNichols. Tunsil tore his triceps and Newton tore his pec, which leaves them with longer odds of making it back later in the year.
Washington also announced that cornerback Fabian Moreau and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle have re-signed with the team after being released on Sunday.
The Eagles’ backup quarterback job was the subject of plenty of speculation over the course of the summer, but the team ended up passing on a decision to get rid of either Tanner McKee or Andy Dalton.
Both quarterbacks made the initial 53-man roster and the Eagles also kept rookie Cole Payton, who saw time on special teams in addition to playing his regular positions during the preseason. All three are behind Jalen Hurts and the rationale for keeping four quarterbacks was the subject of the first question General Manager Howie Roseman fielded during a Monday press conference.
“Most important position in sports,” Roseman said. “I feel like all those guys have value for our team. Obviously some is short-term value, some is long-term value when you think about Cole.”
Roseman was also asked about how the quarterbacks fit into the depth chart, but declined to say who will be Hurts’ backup in Week 1.
“Anything that goes into preparations for Washington, we’re going to keep close to the vest,” Roseman said.
The Eagles will release a depth chart before Week 1, but their inactive list may wind up being the best guide to who they will turn to if Hurts has to miss any time this year.
The Ravens have brought in some potential competition at kicker for Tyler Loop.
Baltimore announced on Monday that the club has signed former third-round pick Jake Moody to its practice squad.
Moody, 26, had been with the Commanders since midway through last season. But Washington let him go in mid-August after Drew Stevens won the team’s kicking competition.
Moody made 21-of-25 field goals and 60-of-61 extra points in his first season with the 49ers but struggled throughout 2024, making just 70.6 percent of his field goals. When he missed two kicks in San Francisco’s season opener last year, the team let him go.
He kicked for Chicago for two games, making 8-of-9 field goals and 3-of-3 extra points while filling in for an injured Cairo Santos. He then went to Washington and made 10-of-11 field goals and 10-of-11 extra points in six games.
Loop, entering his second season, connected on 30-of-34 field goals and 44-of-46 extra points as a rookie — infamously missing a 44-yard attempt wide right at the end of the regular season that would have won the AFC North and sent the Ravens to the postseason over the Steelers. He missed two long field goals in Baltimore’s preseason finale, with a 58-yard and a 51-yard attempt each going wide left.
The Commanders have announced their roster moves to cut their roster down to 53 players.
Washington has waived or released linebacker Krys Barnes, outside linebacker Boogie Basham, safety Joshuah Bledsoe, receiver Jaden Bradley, offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill, tight end Lawrence Cager, defensive tackle Byron Cowart, cornerback Fred Davis II, offensive lineman Julian Good-Jones, cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr., quarterback Sam Hartman, running back Robert Henry Jr., center Trey Hill, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, receiver Van Jefferson, outside linebacker D.J. Johnson, safety Quindell Johnson, receiver Jacoby Jones, linebacker Ale Kaho, safety Qwuanrezz Knight Sr., defensive tackle Jeffrey M’Ba, outside linebacker T.J. Maguranyanga, tight end Tre’ McKitty, tight end Quentin Moore, cornerback Fabian Moreau, receiver Nick Nash, offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, running back Craig Reynolds, cornerback Darius Rush, guard Max Scharping, offensive tackle Trent Scott, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, and cornerback Car’lin Vigers.
Washington placed two players on injured reserve with designations to return: cornerback Trey Amos and running back Jeremy McNichols.
The club also placed defensive end Detrich Wise Jr. on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
All three of Amos, McNichols, and Wise will be eligible to return after the fourth game of the season.
Quarterback Sam Hartman’s time is up in Washington.
Per multiple reports, the Commanders are waiving Hartman on Sunday as they cut their roster to 53 players.
Hartman signed with the team after going undrafted in 2024 and he’s spent most of the last two seasons on the practice squad. Hartman has not appeared in any regular season games for the Commanders.
Marcus Mariota is the primary backup to Jayden Daniels for Washington and he’s missed most of the last month after suffering a sprained MCL early in the team’s first preseason game. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis would be the team’s third quarterback if he makes it through cutdown day.
Controversial or not, there’s an appetite for merchandise with the Commanders’ outdated name and logo.
Via Eric Flack of WUSA, who first reported on the sale of gear bearing the abandoned name and logo earlier this week, all items featuring the old logo and name at the team’s online store have sold out.
Per Flack, items remain available at the team’s brick-and-mortar store.
The Commanders defended the decision to sell gear with the name and logo by citing accuracy in honoring franchise alumni. The team also mentioned the necessity of keeping its trademark rights viable.
The Association on American Indian Affairs promptly spoke out about the apparent backslide toward a name that has evolved over time into a dictionary-defined slur.
The latest use of the name is the most blatant embrace of it since the name was dropped in 2020. Time will tell whether the Commanders continue to push the envelope regarding the renormalization of the name — and whether the name, at the right time and under the right circumstances, will officially return.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels does not want to talk about his battle with LSU about the school not retiring his jersey number.
Daniels’ lawyer told LSU to cease using Daniels’ name, image and likeness because Daniels is upset that the No. 5 he wore on his jersey at LSU is now being worn by cornerback DJ Pickett. At the Commanders’ practice on Wednesday, where many reporters who cover the Commanders were questioning him for the first time, Daniels was asked if he wants to say why he filed the cease-and-desist.
“No, I posted a statement on Instagram and said everything I needed to say. So, appreciate y’all. Thank you,” Daniels said, ending the press conference.
In the statement he posted to Instagram two weeks ago, Daniels said, “I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus. I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”
That statement may be all we hear from Daniels about his relationship with LSU, but it’s clear that Daniels is not happy that the No. 5 jersey will be on the field this season, when he believes it should be on display to commemorate his career as a Heisman Trophy winner.
The Commanders and the Ravens had a joint practice today that reporters on the scene described as an ugly performance from the Commanders’ offense. Jayden Daniels was a little more charitable in his description of it, but admitted it wasn’t good enough.
Daniels said after practice that the offense could have been better, but also described it as a learning experience.
“Not the best day that I thought we could have had, all-around, from myself to everybody else, but these are the opportunities we get to learn from,” Daniels said.
Multiple reporters at the practice described the Commanders’ offensive line as getting dominated by the Ravens’ defensive line, with the absence of Commanders center Nick Allegretti, who is out with a calf injury, causing particular problems for Washington. Daniels said he just has to do his best with the teammates available.
“I’m out here with who’s out here, at the end of the day,” Daniels said. “At the end of the day, I’m just doing my job.”
Commanders fans will hope Daniels and his teammates can do their jobs better when the season starts.
