Robert Griffin III Blasts Jayden Daniels Over Sending LSU a Cease-and-Desist Letter

The college football timeline lit up on Thursday morning with the news that former LSU and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels sent an official cease-and-desist letter to his alma mater.

Daniels' reasoning for taking the shocking legal action against the program he won the Heisman with was that the Tigers have allowed sophomore defensive back DJ Pickett to wear the number five Daniels wore during his time in Baton Rouge.

Daniels believes that, similar to other LSU Heisman winners Joe Burrow and Joe Burrow, nobody in the program should be allowed to wear the number that he won college football's highest individual honor in while playing for the Tigers.

Naturally, this development has stirred up a whole bunch of controversy and spawned a massive wave of discourse around the sport. Many fans, former players, and media members have voiced their opposition to Daniels's decision, including former Heisman Trophy winner-turned Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III.

RG3 Blasts Dainels

RG3 — Henderson, NV, USA; Robert Griffin III during the Pro Bowl Skills competition at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Griffin took to X to criticize the move Daniels made, saying that while he agrees that all Heisman winners should have their jerseys retired, this was not the way to go about doing things.

Every Heisman Trophy Winner should have their number retired.

But this cease and desist letter is a COLOSSAL MISTAKE by Jayden Daniels’ team for 3 reasons.

1. Jersey retirements are an honor.
-Not something to be demanded
-Not something to strong arm a school to do

2. It… pic.twitter.com/GBs9acYJ8Q
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 13, 2026

"Every Heisman Trophy winner's jersey number should be retired in college football," Griffin said. "It's the most exclusive fraternity in the world. But hey, this cease-and-desist letter from Jayden Daniels' team is a colossal mistake for three reasons."

Griffin goes on to explain why he believes this was a mistake on Daniels' part and why it has created a massive distraction for both him and his team heading into a pivotal season.

"Jersey retirements are an honor. It's not something to be demanded, and it certainly isn't something that you should try to strong-arm your school into doing for you. Reason number two, Jayden Daniels' team has put him at direct odds with the LSU fanbase, one of the most passionate fanbases in all of sports... And reason number three, the Washington Commanders are in their most important season, and Jayden Daniels is going into the most important year of his career, and he's created a massive distraction."

The Bottom Line

LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels poses for photos with the Heisman trophy during a press conference in the Astor ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the Heisman trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

At the end of the day, Daniels does have a legitimate gripe with the LSU administration. Nobody in the program has worn either Joe Burrow's number nine or Billy Cannon's number 20 jersey since they both won the Heisman with the Bayou Bengals.

Seeing a rising sophomore who hasn't done anything of note with the program be allowed to wear the number he made iconic at the university while, at the same time, the other two Heisman winners from LSU have had their numbers effectively retired is hurtful.

That being said, taking legal action in such a public manner while you are preparing for what could end up being the most pivotal season of your NFL career doesn't seem like the best way to go about making your displeasure known.

In fact, it's probably the absolute worst way that Daniels and his personal team could have gone about approaching this matter. Now, he's turned much of the LSU fanbase and wider sports media world against him while creating a massive distraction for both himself and the Commanders.

All in all, this could have been handled much better, and now Daniels will be heading into the NFL season with a circus hanging over his head.

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