Jayden Daniels is done letting this one go. The Washington Commanders quarterback has sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter demanding the school stop using his name, image and likeness, and the trigger is personal: his old No. 5 jersey is now on another player’s back.
Daniels’ attorney, Adam Kenner, sent the letter on Aug. 5 to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, who obtained a copy this week. The dispute centers on sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett, who has been wearing No. 5 during LSU’s preseason practices — the same number Daniels wore when he won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.
Nobody had worn it since. Daniels’ jersey was never officially retired, but per ESPN, it sat untouched for two full seasons after he left for the NFL. Then Pickett showed up to camp wearing it.
What the Letter Says
Daniels’ camp didn’t hide how they felt. “The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” his spokesperson said in a statement provided to ESPN. “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.”
The spokesperson added that Daniels “made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected.” According to Yahoo Sports, Daniels also feels he’s being treated differently than fellow LSU Heisman winner Joe Burrow, whose No. 9 hasn’t been issued to anyone since he left Baton Rouge in 2019.
On the legal side, Kenner’s letter leans on contract language rather than sentiment. His NIL agreement with LSU allowed the school a grace period of “at most” 180 days after his departure to keep using his name and likeness, the letter states. That window closed a long time ago.
“Accordingly, LSU must immediately cease and desist from any further issue use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium,” Kenner wrote, according to TSN. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo shared a copy of the letter on X: “Jayden Daniels’ representatives have sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter over the school’s continued use of his NIL.”
The letter from Jayden Daniels’ attorney Adam Kenner to LSU football stating the program “must immediately cease and desist from any further use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium.” pic.twitter.com/QdX6Tl1evG
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 13, 2026
LSU’s Side: A Promise Made in 2024
LSU coach Lane Kiffin addressed the situation directly on Aug. 5, telling reporters that Pickett was promised the number when he signed with the Tigers in December 2024, per ESPN. Pickett wore No. 3 as a freshman last season, when he picked off three passes and made 37 tackles. He was spotted in No. 5 for the first time when preseason practice opened last week.
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly, who was fired last season, told ESPN he’d made the same promise to Pickett but held off issuing the number because Daniels hadn’t signed off on it. “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 athletic department declined to comment when ESPN reached out this week.
Why LSU Hasn’t Retired the Number
This is where LSU’s jersey policy gets complicated. The school has officially retired four football numbers: Billy Cannon’s No. 20, Tommy Casanova’s No. 37, Jerry Stovall’s No. 21 and Charles Alexander’s No. 4. LSU also plans to retire Bert Jones’ No. 7 this fall.
But per LSU’s own athletic department bylaws, adopted in 2007, a retired number can still be issued to a current player in that sport at the head coach’s discretion — with one exception. Cannon’s No. 20 is the only number in LSU football history that can never be worn again. Everything retired after 2007 is technically still available for a coach to hand out, which is exactly what happened with Pickett and No. 5, even though Daniels’ number was never formally retired at all.
| Player | Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Cannon | No. 20 | Retired — cannot be reissued |
| Tommy Casanova | No. 37 | Retired — can be reissued |
| Jerry Stovall | No. 21 | Retired — can be reissued |
| Charles Alexander | No. 4 | Retired — can be reissued |
| Joe Burrow | No. 9 | Not retired, unissued since 2019 |
| Jayden Daniels | No. 5 | Not retired, reissued to DJ Pickett in 2026 |
That last line is the whole fight in one sentence. Burrow’s number has sat untouched by policy or unofficial respect; Daniels’ hasn’t, and he’s not taking it quietly.
What Comes Next
Right now this is a legal demand, not a lawsuit. Kenner’s letter tells LSU to stop using Daniels’ NIL — it doesn’t yet threaten specific litigation over the jersey number itself, and LSU hasn’t publicly responded to the demand beyond Kiffin’s comments about the promise made to Pickett. Whether the school pulls back on using Daniels’ name and image in its marketing, or whether this escalates into something more formal, is still unresolved as of this writing.
Daniels, for his part, is entering his second NFL season off a Pro Bowl rookie year that included an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and a run to the NFC Championship Game. The jersey dispute is unfolding well away from Commanders training camp, but it’s a reminder that the NIL era didn’t end when these players turned pro — it just changed venues.
