Jayden Daniels Addresses Rumor He Doesn’t Want to Play for Patriots

The Heisman Trophy winner and LSU Tigers alum only needed a single emoji to tell his side of the story.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels defiantly shut down a rumor pertaining to his potential landing spot in the 2024 NFL draft on Tuesday.

In the latest wave of ongoing speculation surrounding the NFL this offseason, NBC Sports Boston reporter Phil Perry claimed some people in Daniels’s camp would prefer that he doesn’t end up with the New England Patriots. 

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner personally clapped back at Perry by posting a single emoji of a cap on X, formerly Twitter. In modern slang, the word “cap” indicates a lie.

🧢 https://t.co/bVNxelAn7Y

— Jayden Daniels (@JayD__5) March 5, 2024

Daniels’s representation, EAG Sports Management, also blasted the rumor in a blunt tweet earlier in the day.

“Your rumors are wrong. So now we post rumors and not substantiated facts?” EAG CEO Denise White wrote on X. “Jayden’s camp will be happy wherever he lands and is excited for him to be a part of the @nfl. Let’s get it right @jasrifootball and @PhilAPerry. Come to his publicist next time you aren’t sure!”

With the NFL draft less than two months away, Daniels, a projected top-10 pick, has found himself at the center of growing speculation over his future team.

Earlier Tuesday, Perry floated the notion that Daniels and the Patriots might not be a good fit given New England’s unforgiving winter weather. Perry suggested that those in Daniels’s camp would prefer he land elsewhere in the NFL.

“There are questions among NFL coaches as to how Daniels—who is from California and played at Arizona State and LSU—would adapt to the playing conditions in New England,” Perry wrote. “It’s my understanding there are those in his camp who prefer Daniels doesn’t end up in the Northeast.”

A number of mock drafts have the Patriots selecting Daniels with the No. 3 pick in April, as Daniels is widely considered one of the top signal-callers in this year’s class, alongside USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Daniels will showcase his talents at LSU’s pro day on March 29 in Baton Rouge. The 2024 NFL draft will be held April 25-27.