Jayden Daniels drops girlfriend hint on wristband before devastating arm injury

Jayden Daniels suffered an injury that looked so gruesome, it was feared in real time that it might affect the rest of his promising career as the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That would have been especially brutal for Washington Commanders fans, who have a history of seeing their franchise quarterbacks suffer career-ending injuries after Robert Griffin III and Joe Theismann.

Jayden Daniels and RGIll's injuries occurred in the same stadium, on the exact same yard line, both on 2nd down, against the same team pic.twitter.com/sj70pQc65b
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 3, 2025

Luckily for Daniels, 24, his dislocated left elbow injury looks like it will only keep him out several weeks. So while yes, it's unfortunate that he's out, it's actually great news given how bad it could have been.

But you don't come to The Athlete Lifestyle On SI for injury analysis, and another storyline would have stolen the spotlight on social media when before the game, Daniels seemingly dropped a hint about his often rumored girlfriend, USC star JuJu Watkins, when the Heisman Trophy winner had a stealth "12" with a heart on his taped-up wristband. Watkins wears the No. 12.

We see that 12❤️ on that wristband Jayden Daniels https://t.co/nQEus9vPXq pic.twitter.com/4eKJA7loHO
— 🌊 (@MIKEYSAINRISTIL) November 3, 2025

Daniels and Watkins have been linked for awhile

Oct. 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans basketball player JuJu Watkins was on hand as she was named the tunnel captain the the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The USC women's basketball two-time, first-team All-American has been linked with Daniels ever since his notoriously over-bearing mother, Regina Jackson, was sitting between both of them courtside at the NCAA women's tourney last season in the first round.

JuJu Watkins and Jayden Daniels know ball 🏀🏈 pic.twitter.com/Ex5mRstZF3
— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2025

Watkins was then celebrating with Daniels, and Regina, yet again, when the Commanders came out to SoFi Stadium and probably had their biggest win of this disappointing season, after making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last year, against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Not the best of luck for each other

Daniels was there in-person when the 20-year-old consensus Player of the Year had a devastating knee injury a couple of days after that first viral hang out in the second round of the NCAA Tourney. Watkins will also miss the entire 2025-26 season.

This, obviously, is not on the same level as having Watkins in his heart with a small shout-out on a wristband. If they are indeed a couple, hopefully neither one suffers any more devastating injuries given they both have so much promise to be generational talents.