Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Commanders

Jayden Daniels’ mom reveals why Commanders rookie remains single heading into NFC Championship

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will soon take the field for the biggest game of his football career.

Daniels threw a pair of touchdowns during last week’s win over the top-seeded Detroit Lions to help Washington secure an upset victory and advance to the NFC Championship for the first time in more than three decades.

Many players from both the Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles will likely have the full support of their significant other for Sunday’s big game. But, don’t expect a girlfriend to be rooting Daniels on from the stands – according to his mother.

The young signal caller and leading offensive rookie of the year candidate’s mom, Regina Jackson, recently suggested her son is not dating anyone.

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers and his mother pose with The Heisman Memorial Trophy on Dec. 9, 2023, in New York City. (Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)

Jackson shared some concerns she has for her son amid the Heisman Trophy winner’s stellar rookie campaign and his rising NFL stardom.

COMMANDERS VS. EAGLES: NFC EAST RIVALRY BY THE NUMBERS

“Girls, them girls.” she responded when asked about what she worried about as Daniels prepared to make the leap to the NFL in a clip posted by Amazon Prime Video from the streaming services docuseries “The Money Game.” The series explores how college athletes managed opportunities that arose due to the advent of name, image, and likeness (NIL).

“Some girl out here, she’s got a Jayden Daniels wall and her mama says, ‘Hey honey, you’re going to be the one to get ‘em.’ And I know that sounds crazy, but I guarantee there’s someone who’s trying to get their hooks into Jayden Daniels,” Jackson said about women who look to her son for financial gain.

“So thank god he got a mama like me because it ain’t happening,” she added.

Regina Jackson, mom of Jayden Daniels of the Arizona State Sun Devils, celebrates a 42-23 win over the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl on Oct. 2, 2021, in Pasadena, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Former Eagles running back and FOX Sports co-host LeSean McCoy commented in apparent agreement by saying, “Sound like my mom lol the MOMs KNO.”

Daniels did not appear to be shocked by Jackson’s remarks

“I bet she did say something like that,” the former LSU star said as he smiled and laughed. This was not the first time Daniels spoke about his mother’s efforts to make sure her son has a trustworthy group around him.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels throws a pass against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Jan. 18, 2025. (Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)

“Nothing gets past my mama,” Daniels told Boardroom in December. “She reads people, she doesn’t want to put people around me that she doesn’t feel will benefit me.”

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The Eagles will welcome the Washington Commanders to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. On the AFC side, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Bills in the second conference championship game of the day. The winners from each of those contests will meet in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 26, 2025
Commanders’ success product of change in ownership, NFL legend Champ Bailey says

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The Washington Commanders have been the surprise team of the 2024 season.

Behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders earned a wild-card spot in the playoffs and defeated the NFC South division winner in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the best team in the NFC in the Detroit Lions.

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Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

All the Commanders have to do now is top their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1991 season.

Champ Bailey, who starred for the organization when they were called the Washington Redskins, told Fox News Digital he’s a big fan of the quarterback, but the team’s recent success started when ownership changed hands.

“(Jayden Daniels) is the real deal. I think you can give him a lot of credit for what that franchise is doing right now, but it all starts at the top,” he said. “Once Josh Harris took over the team, and you bring on the ownership team that he has … these dudes, first of all, they love the Commanders because they’re all sort of D.C. guys. And then you have Magic Johnson, who’s the winner of all winners added to that.

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Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against Detroit Lions in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. (Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)

“So, the culture changes pretty much overnight. And now you draft the right quarterback, which we all know if you can draft the right quarterback, the sky’s the limit for your franchise. The fan base is probably one of the best in the world. I mean, I tell people all the time when I’m out and about, I get just as many Commanders fans come up to me than Broncos fans, and I played in Denver 10 years after I played in Washington. So, it’s been 20 years since I’ve been there and people still remember my career like it happened yesterday.”

Champ Bailey partnered with Truelieve. (Truelieve)

Harris’ group bought the Commanders from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for more than $6 billion. The team started a little rocky in the first season with Harris and Co. as the owners. Washington was 4-13 in 2023 and were awarded the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Washington selected Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner in 2023 from LSU, and his poise and collectiveness along with his innate talent at throwing the football helped the Commanders to a 12-6 record and their first playoff appearance since 2020.

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“I’m just happy that they have a team that they can be proud of, they can root for,” said Bailey, who spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of Trulieve. “But it all starts with great ownership, great leadership, and now you’re able to insert a great player like Jayden Daniels. Give them a lot of credit. The kid’s talent is amazing – the things he’s doing now. But it all starts at the top.”

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January 25, 2025
Philadelphia Rocky statue dressed in Redskins gear ahead of NFC title game between Eagles and Commanders

A rivalry has been renewed.

Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game between the Eagles and the visiting Washington Commanders Sunday.

Ahead of the game, the famous Rocky statue in downtown Philadelphia was dressed in gear representing the Commanders’ former identity, the Redskins.

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The culprit is unknown.

Dressing the statue in opposing teams’ gear has become a tradition in recent years ahead of big Eagles playoff games. Each time its happened, the Eagles have come away with wins.

In 2022, the statue was dressed in New York Giants gear ahead of their matchup against the Eagles in the divisional round. The Eagles won that game 38-7. The following week, the statue was dressed in San Francisco 49ers gear before Niners arrived in Philadelphia for the NFC championship game. The Eagles won that game, 31-7.

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When the Eagles won their first Super Bowl in the 2017 season, the statue was also dressed in opposing teams’ gear.

Ahead of that season’s NFC championship game between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, the statue was draped in a Vikings jersey, and the Eagles won 38-7. Before the Super Bowl, someone placed a New England Patriots jersey on the statue, and the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 to claim their first Super Bowl title.

The vandalism became so frequent that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce pleaded with his own fan base not to do dress the statue in any Chiefs gear ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl. The Chiefs won that game 38-35.

“Chiefs, do not touch the f—ing Rocky memorial!” Kelce said during a February 2023 episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”

“Do not do that and definitely don’t put an No. 87 on it!”

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Former Eagles center Jason Kelce, who played against Travis and the Chiefs in that game, theorized the culprit was an Eagles fan.

“I’m gonna be honest. I think somebody from Philadelphia is doing this now,” Jason Kelce said.

“I don’t think this is an opposing team thing at this point. There’s no way opposing teams continue to do this. I’m convinced there is a Philadelphia fan who is putting these shirts on the Rocky statue just to get everyone fired up, and it’s working tremendously.

“So, keep doing it. I guarantee it. There’s no way. Because it’s happened every single game. The Giants did it. The 49ers did it. There will probably be a Chiefs jersey on it this week.”

Now, Washington is up, and will look to break the trend.

It will be the first time the rivals have met in a conference championship game and marks a high point for a rivalry that has been dormant in recent decades due to Washington’s inability to win in the playoffs since the 1990s.

The 2024 season was the first since 2005 that Washington won a playoff game, and the first since 1991 that the franchise reached the conference championship.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 25, 2025
Commanders will hit Jalen Hurts ‘like a running back’ if Eagles deploy him on designed runs, coach says

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the regular season with 630 rushing yards. Hurts’ running ability is a key part of the Eagles’ offense, but it remains unclear how much of a threat his legs will be in this weekend’s NFC championship game.

Hurts appeared to tweak his knee during last week’s divisional round playoff game when he was awkwardly pulled to the ground as he was sacked by a Los Angeles Rams defender. The Eagles signal-caller entered the blue medical tent after the Eagles punted the ball, but he returned to the huddle on Philly’s ensuing offensive possession.

Although Hurts did not miss a play in the 28-22 win over the Rams, his movement appeared to be limited for the remainder of the game.

The Eagles will meet the Commanders in the conference title game Sunday, and Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Hurts’ possible limitations won’t prevent his unit from playing an attacking style.

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Jalen Hurts (1) of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles to avoid a tackle attempt by Andrew Adams of the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field Dec. 4, 2022, in Philadelphia. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The Eagles’ offensive scheme typically calls for a few designed quarterback runs a game. If Hurts does run from the pocket at any point this Sunday, Whitt plans to make the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback pay.

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“We’ve had a number of these guys that we’ve had to prepare for,” Whitt told reporters Thursday. “The one thing is, is if he’s going to run the ball, and if the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we’re going to treat him like a running back, and we’re going to hit him that way.

“So, that’s their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket. So, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is sacked in the end zone for a safety during the third quarter by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (92) in an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field In Philadelphia Jan. 19, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

Hurts ran for 39 yards and a touchdown when the Eagles met the Commanders in Week 11. When the NFC East divisional foes met for a second time in the regular season, Hurts left with a head injury after a 13-yard run. He did not return to the lineup, and the Eagles lost, 36-33.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the field during warmups before a game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

“Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s running with the football. They’ll try to tackle him. We ultimately are cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself. We know how to help him do that as well as far as the scheme goes.”

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Hurts practiced Wednesday, although he was listed as a limited participant. The Eagles are favored to win the NFC title game. If the Commanders do pull off the upset, Jayden Daniels would be the first rookie quarterback in history to start in the Super Bowl.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025
Tom Brady compares Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels to legendary golfer

Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels helped break the team’s drought of NFC Championship appearances with a shocking victory over the Detroit Lions last week.

Daniels was 22-of-31 with 299 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He was not sacked in the game, and Washington was 3-for-4 on fourth-down conversion attempts.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, #5, throws during warmups before an NFL football divisional playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The young quarterback’s ability to be poised and under control in high-pressure situations earned him praise from arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. The former NFL star compared Daniels to Tiger Woods during an episode of the “Let’s Go!” podcast.

“How do we really evaluate confidence? How do we evaluate poise? Because some people have it. The moments aren’t too big for them,” Brady said. “They look at the challenge, and they think about, ‘Man, this is gonna be amazing when we go out and beat these guys.’ And the other guys look at the challenge and go, ‘Oh man, I really don’t want to mess up.’ And I think that fear of failure, instilled in a lot of people in early points of their life, keeps them from the ultimate confidence that they have in themselves, which allows them to grow to their maximum potential.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, #5, walks to the locker room after an NFL football divisional playoff game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

“So even though Jayden Daniels is just a rookie, he has that poise and confidence. Imagine, I guess, another correlation, look at a young Tiger Woods. He never had proven on the big stage that he was ready for those big moments in the Masters in ’97, but he had proved that to himself in all those junior amateurs that he won, that he didn’t care who he was playing. It was him versus him.”

Daniels appeared to maintain the one-game-at-a-time mentality as he talked to reporters about the possibility of going to the Super Bowl with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

If the Commanders win the NFC Championship, it will be their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1991 season, when the organization was known as the Washington Redskins. Daniels would also be the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl.

“I’m not even thinking that far. It would obviously be a blessing, but I’m just focused on how can I be better day by day,” he said, via Pro Football Talk.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, #5, celebrates a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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The Commanders and Eagles play at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. The game can be seen on FOX.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025