The trolling of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels over his cease-and-desist letter to LSU has now reached the federal government with the US Department of the Interior. They are the latest account to take a shot at the Commanders QB in the trolling saga.
The post, made on Aug. 18, used the same “out of respect” phrasing that has become the calling card of every brand and media account that has joined the running joke over the past week.
US Department of the Interior Trolls Jayden Daniels Over LSU Jersey Dispute
The US Department of the Interior’s post announced that National Park Week starts in four days, adding: “We were going to announce this yesterday, but out of respect, we waited.” It included a photo of a bison.
The agency did not name Daniels, but the joke was clear as day. National Park Week runs Aug. 22-30.
National Park Week starts in 4 days.
We were going to announce this yesterday, but out of respect, we waited. pic.twitter.com/Tbod9qgmhD
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) August 18, 2026
The backstory is that Daniels sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU after the university allowed cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey, the number Daniels wore when he won the 2023 Heisman Trophy. Pickett was originally promised the number as part of his recruitment.
Daniels’ camp felt that LSU had not honored his legacy the way other Heisman winners had been treated, pointing to the fact that Joe Burrow’s No. 9 had not been reissued after his Heisman Trophy and national championship. LSU has only one fully retired number, which is Billy Cannon’s No. 20.
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Daniels’ spokesperson had previously said that his family was deeply disappointed and felt “profoundly disrespected” by the decision. Daniels later tried to lower the temperature publicly, saying that his personal focus is on the Commanders and that he trusted the situation could be resolved. The internet, however, did not follow his lead.
StubHub, MLB Teams, and MLS Clubs Have Taken Their Shot at Daniels
StubHub was one of the first names in the trolling saga. On Aug. 13, the ticketing platform posted on X that it would “no longer offer tickets in groups of 5” out of respect for Daniels and would offer only groups of four or six and above.
As PFN covered earlier this week, several MLB teams followed suit in trolling Daniels. The New York Mets, after beating the Washington Nationals 4-1, posted that they had “stopped at 4 out of respect for Jayden Daniels.” The Cleveland Guardians posted after a recent victory that they were “not scared of Jayden Daniels” after winning by five. The Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Angels all joined in with their own variations. DraftKings said it would end its work shift at 4:59.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United FC of the MLS posted “+4 minutes of stoppage time (out of respect for Jayden Daniels).” Nashville SC said it stood in solidarity by only scoring four goals against Inter Miami. Outside of sports entirely, Saratoga Race Course said it would no longer use Post 5 on its starting gate, and Columbia University’s football account also announced it had removed the five-yard line from its field.
The US Department of the Interior’s post on Tuesday was the latest trolling entry (and the furthest the joke has traveled) in the Daniels-LSU saga.
