Jayden Daniels Draws Line With LSU Over No. 5 Jersey

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has become involved in an unexpected dispute with his alma mater, LSU. According to ESPN, the dispute stems from the quarterback, who won the 2023 Heisman Trophy in an LSU uniform, being upset that the school has allowed another player to wear his No. 5. Daniels’ attorney, Adam Kenner, informed LSU in a letter dated August 5 that the school can no longer use his name, image, and likeness. This story has two separate elements — the legal demand concerns LSU’s continued use of Daniels’ NIL, while a statement from Daniels’ spokesperson says the larger dispute centers on the school giving sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett the No. 5 jersey.

Pickett wore No. 3 last season and was wearing the No. 5 jersey when the Tigers opened preseason practice last week, which prompted questions about the swap.

"The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player," the statement from Daniels' spokesperson said. "Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university."

A Broken Promise? Why LSU Gave DJ Pickett No. 5

Daniels’ camp believes he is being treated differently from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose No. 9 has not been issued by LSU since his Heisman Trophy and national-championship season in 2019. Former LSU coach Brian Kelly, who was fired in October, acknowledged that Pickett had been promised the number during his recruitment but said he refused to issue it because Daniels objected. "I just wasn't prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner," Kelly said. "We didn't want to issue No. 9, so you can't treat one differently from the other."

LSU's first-year head coach Lane Kiffin believes the school should honor its recruiting commitment to Pickett.

"DJ is in [No.] 5, and that was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here," Kiffin said. "I've done a lot of research on that with the family and the representatives and the people, so really I didn't have a decision to make. It was promised to the kid; it wasn't done for whatever [reason]. I'm not going to get into that.

"I'm not going to judge something [that was done] when I wasn't here. But when a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it. So, at that point, I don't think that's really my decision. We should honor what he was told."

LSU’s own jersey-retirement policy basically states that an athlete must have completed competition for five years before being nominated for jersey retirement, and he or she must have "demonstrated truly unusual and outstanding accomplishments, such as winning a Heisman Trophy or National Player of the Year award, and it should be based on the total LSU career."

The No. 20 jersey worn famously by halfback Billy Cannon, who was LSU's first Heisman Trophy winner in 1959, is the only number that cannot be worn again by a football player.

The Legal Battle: Expired NIL Contracts and Cease-and-Desists

Jayden Daniels LSU jersey dispute — Nov 11, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) rushes for a touchdown against Florida Gators safety Jordan Castell (14) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Separately, Daniels' attorney says the NIL agreement that was in place between Daniels and LSU had a shelf life of 180 days after his last college game, which has long since expired. Kenner's position is that LSU no longer has contractual permission to use Daniels' name, image, and likeness.

The irony in this one is semi-strong for fans of the burgundy and gold, with the news that Stefon Diggs was requesting to use Joe Theismann's No. 7, forcing Washington's hand to eventually respond to situations involving iconic numbers that are soft-retired. Of course, the situation also has a clear difference: Theismann has deferred the decision to the Commanders, while Daniels’ camp is making it clear that he believes the player whose legacy created the significance of the number should have a voice in what happens to it. The news has nothing to do with Daniels' professional career, but offers a pretty revealing look at how strongly the Commanders quarterback feels about protecting the legacy he left behind in Baton Rouge.

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