The Jayden Daniels Tracker

[JDHigh5]

This flag football game is terrible optics in my opinion.

You take the safe route and coddle him to avoid media scrutiny and risk of injury in front of season ticket holders, but you take him overseas one month after the season ends for a meaningless event.

Taking him out for the remainder of the season for loyal fans included a Christmas game, which I'm sure many kids had lined up with their parents to go see their superstar QB.

 

[NickyJ]

This flag football game is terrible optics in my opinion.

You take the safe route and coddle him to avoid media scrutiny and risk of injury in front of season ticket holders, but you take him overseas one month after the season ends for a meaningless event.

Taking him out for the remainder of the season for loyal fans included a Christmas game, which I'm sure many kids had lined up with their parents to go see their superstar QB.

The team took him out of the games to avoid risk of injury. The team is not sending him to Saudi Arabia. Jayden got his own deal to do with his own time. Unless the team has something in its contract that specifically tells him what hobbies, sponsored or otherwise, that he is allowed to participate in, there's nothing they can do besides patting him on the shoulder before his flight and saying "don't break a leg".

 

[mcdonaldrw]

Yea at this point I think this is just a bad look from Jayden. Why put your real job in jeopardy when you spent so much time on the side lines this year. I get it, it's a good pay day, but is the small pay day worth the risk? And yes it's flag football, but we see tons of non-contact injuries every year why take the risk.

Not a fan of this move.

 

[HOF44]

I’m sure he will have 100+ million insurance policy. He will be covered.

 

[mcdonaldrw]

I’m sure he will have 100+ million insurance policy. He will be covered.

And there lies the rub. I'm sure he will make sure he is taken care of, but let's say worst case scenario he goes over there and rips his ACL, yea he is good money wise however the team is HOSED, just so he could go get a pay day. Not a good look IMO, but I guess most players don't put the team first anymore.

 

[JDHigh5]

The team took him out of the games to avoid risk of injury. The team is not sending him to Saudi Arabia. Jayden got his own deal to do with his own time. Unless the team has something in its contract that specifically tells him what hobbies, sponsored or otherwise, that he is allowed to participate in, there's nothing they can do besides patting him on the shoulder before his flight and saying "don't break a leg".

I understand what you are saying, and I didn't mean to imply that the team should take any sort of responsibility or action. However, I'm of the opinion that it wouldn't be unreasonable if they did so.

I may be a bit old school (mid 30's if you're wondering), but I'm just getting a bit frustrated with the personal brands of both coaches and players alike in the present NFL.

This isn't boxing. This is a team sport, and each player is affiliated with and represents an organization. Even though Jayden isn't technically or legally required, especially given the events of last season, he should have been more mindful before participating in this event overseas.

Oh, and if you are the Nicky J with the Athletic, keep up the great work.

 

[NickyJ]

Different NickyJ, I wish I could get paid for being opinionated lol

I don't love him doing other things that risk injury, but I'd feel totally defeated if we really are so scared of Jayden getting injured that he can't do physical hobbies. If he can't do flag football, can he do basketball? Tennis? Shufflepuck? It sounds absurd, but a line would have to be drawn and expected to be leaked to the public eventually.

That his physical hobby is in Saudi Arabia is disappointing, but I've gotten used to the fact that millionaire athletes and pop culture stars don't care about the same things that we do.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Different NickyJ, I wish I could get paid for being opinionated lol

I don't love him doing other things that risk injury, but I'd feel totally defeated if we really are so scared of Jayden getting injured that he can't do physical hobbies. If he can't do flag football, can he do basketball? Tennis? Shufflepuck? It sounds absurd, but a line would have to be drawn and expected to be leaked to the public eventually.

That his physical hobby is in Saudi Arabia is disappointing, but I've gotten used to the fact that millionaire athletes and pop culture stars don't care about the same things that we do.

I’m pretty much of this same mindset. Do I wish he wasn’t going to do this, yes. But I understand players do all kinds of things in the offseason. It may not be the worst thing for him to be throwing passes and learning things football related. You don’t see football players doing this often, but looking at other sports, this isn’t uncommon.

Basketball players always play basketball. Always. If you have ever been around someone who has played high level basketball, they play pickup constantly. It’s just what they do. Then with hockey, those guys will go overseas to compete in world championships just days after the season is over. They want to play as much as they can. With baseball, it used to be more prevalent. Guys would play in leagues in Latin America in the offseason, but now I suspect it’s mostly guys still trying to make it in the bigs while the big name players stick to just training in the offseason.

It’s just you don’t hear this happening much with football. I’m guessing because of the physical demands of the game and guys needing rest from taking a beating. Hopefully this is no different than practice for him.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I’m pretty much of this same mindset. Do I wish he wasn’t going to do this, yes. But I understand players do all kinds of things in the offseason. It may not be the worst thing for him to be throwing passes and learning things football related. You don’t see football players doing this often, but looking at other sports, this isn’t uncommon.

Basketball players always play basketball. Always. If you have ever been around someone who has played high level basketball, they play pickup constantly. It’s just what they do. Then with hockey, those guys will go overseas to compete in world championships just days after the season is over. They want to play as much as they can. With baseball, it used to be more prevalent. Guys would play in leagues in Latin America in the offseason, but now I suspect it’s mostly guys still trying to make it in the bigs while the big name players stick to just training in the offseason.

It’s just you don’t hear this happening much with football. I’m guessing because of the physical demands of the game and guys needing rest from taking a beating. Hopefully this is no different than practice for him.

It's worth noting that with Football they really havent had an option to do anything like that. They can't just walk on to a spring football league. This is really the first time they could go out and play with other players who are on a similar talent level, that can compete. Those other leagues, they're going to play in other truly professional leagues. Leagues that have other professional investment, so the opposing players are playing with the same mentality you are. Being out there in an adult football league game against a bunch of guys that look like me, does nobody any good. Either the competition, conditions, and gameplay is clearly inferior, or you get that jackass that wants to be the guy who sacked Jayden Daniels and he gets his knee blown up.

I think this is a bit different. It's essentially training camp 7 on 7. There's no lineman falling around your feet, or getting blocked into you. There's no late flashing LB chasing you to the sideline trying to take your head off. It's passing league.

According to this, the team could deny a player from participating... and it looks like a number of NFL players plan to attend. It's probably going to end up being very similar to a workout where guys get together in CA or FLA to run reps together.

Jayden Daniels to join Tom Brady in Fanatics flag football event in Saudi Arabia

The March event, held at Kingdom Arena, will be a round-robin tournament with three teams made up of current and former NFL players.

www.nytimes.com

 

[method man]

The team took him out of the games to avoid risk of injury. The team is not sending him to Saudi Arabia. Jayden got his own deal to do with his own time. Unless the team has something in its contract that specifically tells him what hobbies, sponsored or otherwise, that he is allowed to participate in, there's nothing they can do besides patting him on the shoulder before his flight and saying "don't break a leg".

Yep. It was the team's decision to take him out, not Jayden's. All reporting is he was pushing to play and was overruled.

I don't have an issue with the flag football thing. 1) He gets time with Brady over there and he will be surrounded by Payton, Shanahan, Carroll and a bunch of All Pros, 2) he gets football reps & 3) how is this different from NBA players playing games at Barry Farms in the offseason?

 

[Boone]

This flag football game is terrible optics in my opinion.

You take the safe route and coddle him to avoid media scrutiny and risk of injury in front of season ticket holders, but you take him overseas one month after the season ends for a meaningless event.

Taking him out for the remainder of the season for loyal fans included a Christmas game, which I'm sure many kids had lined up with their parents to go see their superstar QB.

I've seen this type of comment a few times. Sorry man, but fan's disappointment at not getting to see the starting QB for a game is about the last thing a team should consider when it comes to the long-term health of their QB and whether he should be out there playing or not. Some fans may not like it, but honestly - who cares? Watching him tear an ACL at the end of a meaningless season - how are the fans going to like that prospect?

 

[Dlts20]

Yea I was just about to write about how much I love him spending time with Brady and other legends. You get the sense that most of them like Jayden and are rooting for him so I could see them all giving him a few nuggets, especially om different things to do this off season, going into year 3.

This is the biggest season in our Franchises history since the SB. It's not about our team winning a SB but it is about Jayden looking more like year one or better as opposed to CJ Stroud 2.0

It's over for us no matter what if he goes the CJ route. His last few games were pretty bad but he didn't have much to work with and I saw enough good in him on one leg against the Chargers and Bears to feel like he's going to be a star.

Even though Blough is the OC, I still think that his main focus will be Jaydens development. Everyone realizes that's the key to everything. If the run game and the offense around him is better then that is great and makes it easier but we still aren't doing anything if he's just an average QB now. We need the future MVP back, ASAP.

 

[Boone]

I’m pretty much of this same mindset. Do I wish he wasn’t going to do this, yes. But I understand players do all kinds of things in the offseason. It may not be the worst thing for him to be throwing passes and learning things football related. You don’t see football players doing this often, but looking at other sports, this isn’t uncommon.

Basketball players always play basketball. Always. If you have ever been around someone who has played high level basketball, they play pickup constantly. It’s just what they do. Then with hockey, those guys will go overseas to compete in world championships just days after the season is over. They want to play as much as they can. With baseball, it used to be more prevalent. Guys would play in leagues in Latin America in the offseason, but now I suspect it’s mostly guys still trying to make it in the bigs while the big name players stick to just training in the offseason.

It’s just you don’t hear this happening much with football. I’m guessing because of the physical demands of the game and guys needing rest from taking a beating. Hopefully this is no different than practice for him.

This. If I'm Jayden, when 'opportunities' like this come up, I'm asking myself 'Is it really worth some freak non-contact injury that could sideline me for a season?'. The answer is always going to be the same. Then again, you could tear an ACL slipping on a step or curb.

It is what it is.

 

[bowhunter]

This. If I'm Jayden, when 'opportunities' like this come up, I'm asking myself 'Is it really worth some freak non-contact injury that could sideline me for a season?'. The answer is always going to be the same. Then again, you could tear an ACL slipping on a step or curb.

It is what it is.

Or moving a glass table...

 

[Conn]

I think as time has gone on and the weight of that lost NFCCG has compounded for us all, we’ve started to tell ourselves that we got exposed and killed in that game and never belonged, it was all a mirage.

Look at this video. Jayden is a SB-quality QB and we should have been there his rookie year, it took a comedy of turnovers to keep him out even against that stacked Eagles team.

Daniels has got “it”. We need to not waste it

 

[Chris]

Someone should put those ‘defensive’ plays to Benny Hill music.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I think as time has gone on and the weight of that lost NFCCG has compounded for us all, we’ve started to tell ourselves that we got exposed and killed in that game and never belonged, it was all a mirage.

Look at this video. Jayden is a SB-quality QB and we should have been there his rookie year, it took a comedy of turnovers to keep him out even against that stacked Eagles team.

Daniels has got “it”. We need to not waste it

I think we do forget how well he played. But it does reveal the issues with the team. Jayden had to be Superman for the team to win. When 2025 roles around and he isn’t Superman, the whole thing falls apart. The team looks like one of the worst in the league. I know we all know this, but football is the ultimate team game. You need all your team performing well to win. And if one isn’t, someone else steps up. You rely too much on that one person and they don’t play at an otherworldly level or worse get hurt, you have nowhere else to turn.

 

[burgold]

I think this is

I think we do forget how well he played. But it does reveal the issues with the team. Jayden had to be Superman for the team to win. When 2025 roles around and he isn’t Superman, the whole thing falls apart. The team looks like one of the worst in the league. I know we all know this, but football is the ultimate team game. You need all your team performing well to win. And if one isn’t, someone else steps up. You rely too much on that one person and they don’t play at an otherworldly level or worse get hurt, you have nowhere else to turn.

I think this is true, but we shouldn't forget the Justice League he played with either. OZ had moments and even whole games where he was one of the best receivers on the field despite being a JAG most of his career. Ertz who was washed up and expected to be a joke of a signing had a Pro Bowl worthy year. Eckeler who everyone thought lost a step and just had been too battered by injuries to be worth anything, caught and bulldozed, and made play after play.

So yeah, Jayden was Superman, but he had his Superfriends, too. Part of what made 2025 such a terrible years was how the complimentary pieces let them down. For example, I think we had the third most drops of any team in the NFL. In 2025, only 7 teams dropped more passes than us. That's a difference of 22 slots.

As for the defense, I have few kind words for them in either 2024 or 2025. The D was terrible in both years. Even in the game I remember where the D did its best, the playoff game vs. Detroit, Washington allowed several embarrassing explosives that make me guess that they statistically looked awful except for the turnovers. Mike had an AMAZING game.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I think this is

I think this is true, but we shouldn't forget the Justice League he played with either. OZ had moments and even whole games where he was one of the best receivers on the field despite being a JAG most of his career. Ertz who was washed up and expected to be a joke of a signing had a Pro Bowl worthy year. Eckeler who everyone thought lost a step and just had been too battered by injuries to be worth anything, caught and bulldozed, and made play after play.

So yeah, Jayden was Superman, but he had his Superfriends, too. Part of what made 2025 such a terrible years was how the complimentary pieces let them down. For example, I think we had the third most drops of any team in the NFL. In 2025, only 7 teams dropped more passes than us. That's a difference of 22 slots.

As for the defense, I have few kind words for them in either 2024 or 2025. The D was terrible in both years. Even in the game I remember where the D did its best, the playoff game vs. Detroit, Washington allowed several embarrassing explosives that make me guess that they statistically looked awful except for the turnovers. Mike had an AMAZING game.

Yeah, not trying to minimize anyone’s contributions. There weee plenty of guys who were great last year. I’m just pointing out that it felt like the mentality was Jayden will win us a game, so what else do we need. The team needs to improve all over and then they can pick up Jayden when he is not at his best.

 

[burgold]

Yeah, I fell into that trap a little bit myself. I mean I think I even remember making the argument that Brady didn't have elite receivers and while I still think that's true, I suspect you do need at least a minimum threshhold of competency. It wasn't that we lacked great receivers it's that we couldn't even field average ones. We trotted out street level free agents and Deebo for almost the whole season it felt like.