Jayden Daniels Subtly Responds to Brandon Aiyuk Shade with Cheeky Kevin Durant Meme

It seems there has been a fallout between Jayden Daniels and Brandon Aiyuk.

Jayden Daniels Subtly Responds to Brandon Aiyuk Shade with Cheeky Kevin Durant Meme

Brandon Aiyuk and Jayden Daniels inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

Jayden Daniels’ latest Instagram post sends a clear message to Brandon Aiyuk. The Washington Commanders quarterback doesn’t seem keen on helping Aiyuk pressure the San Francisco 49ers to release him.

Daniels neatly declined Aiyuk by using a famous Kevin Durant “thumbs down” meme.

While Daniels didn’t specify with a caption, his response comes right after Aiyuk posted a video urging the third-year signal-caller to start listening to him rather than his mother, Regina Jackson.

Jayden Daniels Instagram story
Jayden Daniels’ Instagram story

Jackson isn’t only Daniels’ mother; she’s also his agent. She handles the business side of her son’s professional livelihood. One of her objectives is keeping Daniels away from toxicity. Aiyuk’s situation is slowly heading towards it. His ensuing reply to Daniels sort of proves the point.

Wearing a Commanders hat, Aiyuk addressed a new message to Daniels.

Let’s run it 5 [JD’s jersey number]… Let’s see. Need you available all SZN [season], and I’ll do the same.

Aiyuk wrote

Some fans are assuming that both are “trolling” each other. However, Daniels’ next move doesn’t seem premeditated.

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Daniels just gave Aiyuk a sharp reply, making his intentions clear. Popular 49ers content creator “Coach Yac” posted a screenshot of Daniels’ “like profile” column on Instagram.

Jayden Daniels Subtly Responds to Brandon Aiyuk Shade With Cheeky Kevin Durant Meme
Brandon Aiyuk (Image via IMAGO)

Daniels used to follow Aiyuk on the platform, but he no longer does.

Fallouts between once-friends and teammates are not a new concept. Assuming that Aiyuk and Daniels aren’t playing around, Daniels’ actions could be viewed as an attempt to distance himself from the All-Pro wideout’s shenanigans.

No one saw Aiyuk’s cry for help taking such a dramatic turn. Only time will tell whether this development is for good or for worse.

A brief walkthrough of Jayden Daniels’ football career

Daniels and Aiyuk played together one season at Arizona State. Daniels completed 60.7% of his passes for 2943 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also rushing for 355 yards and 3 scores on the ground. Aiyuk caught 65 passes for 1192 yards and scored 8 touchdowns (his best numbers in college).

After that year, Aiyuk transitioned to pro football after the 49ers selected him 25th overall.

Daniels spent two more years with the Sun Devils before transferring to the LSU Tigers. In 2023, he completed 72.2% of his passes and contributed 50 total touchdowns to secure the Heisman Trophy.

The Commanders drafted him second overall in 2024. Experts consider his rookie year as one of the best by a debutant in league history. Daniels completed 69% of his passes for 3568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He further added 6 TDs with his feet.

Washington finished the regular season with a 12-5 record. They went as far as the NFC Championship game, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.

2025 was a disaster. Early in the year, he suffered a hamstring injury. Later, the 25-year-old dislocated his left elbow. His season ended after just seven games (2-5 record).

Several analysts compared Daniels’ injuries to his predecessor, Robert Griffin III, whose career ended due to a series of injuries and mismanagement. Jackson appealed to the Commanders brass to give more protection to her son, so that he doesn’t end up like RG3.

Per reports, Daniels’ recovery is going well. He participated in the recently concluded OTAs and will link up with the team for training camp near the end of July.

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