The football world received some stunning news on Thursday when it became public that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had sent a cease-and-desist to his former school, LSU.
The cease-and-desist centered around LSU’s decision to award his former No. 5 jersey to a player on its current roster, cornerback DJ Pickett.
This cease-and-desist essentially prevents the school from using Daniels’ name, image, and likeness. It’s a bit of a stunning development and has had the entire football world talking. One NFL analyst is even receiving a bit of pushback himself for his position on the matter.
Fans Hit Out At Ryan Clark For Jayden Daniels Takes
Ryan Clark took to social media in an attempt to clear the air, in his words. He wanted to provide context for why Daniels elected to take this step against his alma mater.
“Before the rumor mill runs wild, or things get taken out of context, hoping to provide some clarity: the Daniels’ camp understands that the No. 5 jersey is not retired at LSU, nor have they ever asked for it to be. The cease-and-desist is not about the number itself or about DJ Pickett. It is about respect, and the process by which that number was ultimately given out,” Clark said on social media on Thursday.
This is part of a longer tweet that generated a ton of attention. However, it would be a stretch to say the attention was all that positive. NFL fans voiced their strong displeasure in response to Clark’s statement.
One fan took direct aim at Clark’s stance on various issues, dismissing his explanation on Daniels’s problem altogether.
Another criticized Clark for just about failing to explain the situation.
Respectfully this statement is saying a whole lot of nothing. He mad about that number being given "easily" to someone he views as a lesser player than he was. Just say that. All these words for nothin https://t.co/PwJQNM33Dd
— That Blame Guy (@ImToBlame)
This is hilariously poor damage control. https://t.co/nBRkBy6Jhv
— Fancy Boots (@TexasFancyBoots)
A fourth fan accused Clark of taking sides in the matter.
This didn’t provide any additional clarity lol it sounds like you just want us to be nice to your homeboy. https://t.co/YPM7rS1GbL
— De’Vion Hinton (@stilldexhinton)
I’m glad espn fired you. https://t.co/CiopiAjXmr
— Jeremy (@imjeremytho)
A lot of words to say nothing https://t.co/uPUV3N0wmd
— Future Of The Retro (@TraeK_)
Another discounted Clark’s credibility on the issue.
This guy is literally on the wrong side of every issue… 😆😆😆 https://t.co/NBMUEBF7Gp
— Friend of the Program (@TheFOTP)
This is certainly a sad chapter in the relationship between Daniels and LSU. The Commanders quarterback had a ton of success in Baton Rouge. He won the Heisman Trophy with the program in 2023 after transferring to the school from Arizona State University.
The Tigers never made the playoffs with Daniels under center, though. They did make an appearance in the 2022 SEC Championship Game. However, they ended up losing that contest to the then No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
Daniels declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and ended up as the second overall pick of the Commanders. He had a highly successful rookie campaign, finishing with the seventh-best QB Impact Rating, according to PFN’s in-house metric.
The 2025 campaign was not as kind to him, though. He was limited to just seven games due to injury. The Commanders missed the playoffs entirely due in part to his absence.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.