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Jayden Daniels, JuJu Watkins relationship question answered after Commanders win

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Juju Watkins spark rumors after their celebration handshake goes viral.
Emily Bicks|
Oct. 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Oct. 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

After missing two games with a knee injury, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels returned to start against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5.

Daniels threw for 231 yards and one touchdown, along with 39 rushing in yards in Washington's 27-10 victory. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of Year was pumped to play at SoFi Stadium as the California-native grew up nearby in San Bernardino.

RELATED: Who is Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ controversial mom, Regina Jackson?

Jayden Daniels
Oct. 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The 24-year-old had a large crew of family and friends cheering him on, including his mother, Regina Jackson, and father, Javon Daniels. However, USC Trojans star Juju Watkins' presence immediately turn some heads.

Daniels cheered on Watkins during the Trojans’ win over then No. 1 UCLA in February and the two first sparked romance rumors after they were spotted at a March Madness game together in March.

RELATED: Does Commanders star QB Jayden Daniels have a girlfriend?

Daniels' mom appearing to interrupt their conversation to sit in between her son and Watkins also garnered immediate criticism on social media.

The 20-year-old basketball star and Daniels were also spotted at a party together in July.

RELATED: Daniels’ mom rocks custom ‘5’ coat, black leather pants for Commanders game

After fans saw their special handshake at the Commanders-Chargers game on Oct. 5, and Washington's official X account shared a video of their interaction with multiple heart-hand emojis, romance rumors sparked back up.

At the same time, rumors swirled on social media that Watkins and Daniels are cousins, that their moms are sisters -- but that's not true.

While Watkins' mom, Sari Watkins, is one of five daughters, she doesn't mention Jackson as being a family member in the 2024 docuseries, "On the Rise: JuJu Watkins."

As for Jackson, she celebrated National Siblings Day on Instagram in 2014. The NFL agent tagged her two sisters, neither of which is Watkins' mom.

Regina Jackson's siblings
@_mz_jackson/Instagram

While it's unclear if Daniels and Watkins are officially dating or simply good friends, they are not cousins.

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Emily Bicks
EMILY BICKS

Emily Bicks is a sports reporter with over a decade of experience in journalism. In addition to her work at The Athlete Lifestyle on SI, she covers the NFL for Heavy Sports. Her previous work includes founding an entertainment column for the New York Observer, writing for Refinery29, Variety, and Tribune Media.

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