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The Mets have failed to cobble together five runs in 81 of their 123 games this season, with the latest unfolding Friday, but that didn’t stop them from throwing a jab at the number — and the ongoing Jayden Daniels saga with LSU — after defeating the team that shares a name with the Commanders.
“Stopped at 4 out of respect for Jayden Daniels,” the Mets wrote on X after their 4-1 win over the Nationals, referencing the Washington quarterback issuing a cease-and-desist letter to his alma mater earlier this week.
Tigers cornerback DJ Pickett switched from No. 3 to No. 5 — a number he was promised while getting recruited by LSU — ahead of the 2026 season, and Daniels was “profoundly disrespected” by LSU’s decision to give his jersey to someone else, his spokesman told ESPN.
Daniels spent his final two collegiate seasons with LSU and won the 2023 Heisman Trophy after a campaign where he threw 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns — guiding the Tigers to a 10-3 record before getting selected by the Commanders at No. 2 overall.
The Mets celebrate after pitcher Kodai Senga closes out the ninth inning on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, New York. Jason Szenes for the NY PostESPN reported that Daniels’ NIL deal with LSU allowed the school to use his name, image and likeness (NIL) for 180 days after his final game, which was in November 2023.
His spokesperson said that the Daniels 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.”
Pickett, though, said he’d continue to wear the number he donned since he was 4 years old and wished Daniels the best.
“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Daniels, who is entering his third year with the Commanders and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024, said in a separate statement. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels gestures before an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Landover, MD. AP Photo“Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”
And the Mets — who’ve won seven of their last 10 games to add a promising chapter to an otherwise disappointing campaign that included a deadline sale — didn’t hesitate to join in with the viral social media posts joking about Daniels and his number.
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