Aug. 13 (UPI) — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels wants LSU to stop using his name, image, and likeness after the Tigers gave his former jersey number to another player.
Attorney Adam Kenner wrote a cease-and-desist letter, on behalf of Daniels, to LSU football and athletic director Verge Ausberry on Aug. 5. Kenner said Daniels’ contract with LSU allowed the school to use his name, image, and likeness for 180 days after his last collegiate contest.
LSU did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Daniels played at Arizona State from 2019 to 2021. He played for the Tigers in the No. 5 jersey in 2022 and 2023, when he won the Heisman Trophy.
Tigers sophomore cornerback D.J. Pickett, who wore No. 3 last season, sported No. 5 last week at the start of spring practice and is listed with that number on the official roster.
“Any use of Mr. Daniels’ NIL occurring after LSU’s receipt of this notice will be deemed knowing and willful and will be pursued vigorously through all available legal and equitable remedies, without further notice,” Kenner wrote in the letter, which was obtained by NFL Network.
The cease and desist letter did not mention No. 5, but a spokesman for the Commanders’ quarterback cited the Tigers’ decision to give the number to “another player” in a statement to ESPN.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” the statement 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.”
Tigers coach Lane Kiffin told reporters last week that Pickett was promised the No. 5 when he signed with LSU in 2024. Former Tigers coach Brian Kelly told ESPN that he chose not to issue Pickett the number because Daniels didn’t agree with the decision.
“Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected,” Daniels’ spokesman said. “His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history.
“To see his number given to another player is incredibly disappointing and feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.”
Kiffin said the decision to allow Pickett to wear the No. 5 was made to “honor what he was told.”
Just four numbers are retired from the Tigers football program: Billy Cannon’s No. 20, Tommy Casanova’s No. 37, Jerry Stovall’s No. 21 and Charles Alexander’s No. 4. The Tigers plan to retire former quarterback Bert Jones’ No. 7 on Nov. 14.
The LSU athletics website states that for those retired after Jan. 1, 2007, the “retirement of an athlete’s jersey in a particular sport does not preclude a current student-athlete in that sport from wearing the jersey number in that or any other sport, subject to the discretion of the head coach.”
No Tigers players have worn the No. 9 since former star quarterback Joe Burrow wore the number for the Tigers in 2018 and 2019, when he won the Heisman Trophy and a national title.
Daniels, who won 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, missed the majority of his 2025 campaign due to injuries. He is healthy ahead of his third NFL season.
The Commanders will host the Miami Dolphins in their preseason opener at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in Landover, Md. They will play the Philadelphia Eagles in their regular season opener Sept. 13 in Philadelphia.
The Tigers will open their regular season against Clemson on Sept. 5 in Baton Rouge, La.