The Miami Dolphins didn’t say Jayden Daniels’ name, but they didn’t exactly need to.
On Friday, Miami dropped its game-day graphic ahead of its preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, and the image put running back Jaylen Wright front and center in No. 5. That detail stood out immediately because Daniels wears No. 5 for Washington, and the post landed while he was already in the middle of an unexpected fight over his former LSU number.
Daniels’ representatives recently sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter after the school assigned No. 5 to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett. Daniels addressed the situation on Thursday, saying he was staying locked in on Washington and hoping the dispute could be handled privately.
Miami’s post didn’t mention Daniels at all. The caption was simple: “Preseason starts now ‼️🐬 #PhinsUp.”
But the timing did the heavy lifting. Wright wore No. 25 as a rookie before switching to No. 5 in 2025, and that alone made the graphic look pointed to plenty of fans. The reaction came fast.
“The 5 gotta be intentional 😭.”
“Ya keep trolling when the 3rd string qb puts BTA tonight don’t forget to post that score.”
“Did we get permission to use 5 in this post?!? Don’t wanna upset anyone in DC 👀🤣,” another fan joked.
“Gotta love the subtle troll…😂😂,” one comment read.
A different fan put it even more plainly: “Putting #5 Jaylen Wright on the graphic for the game against the Commanders😭.”
Daniels’ camp has argued that LSU should stop using his name, image and likeness after the number was reassigned. LSU reportedly had not issued No. 5 since Daniels left, while Pickett had supposedly been promised it during recruitment.
The whole situation has now stretched far beyond Baton Rouge, with even other NFL personalities getting pulled into the conversation. Daniels, meanwhile, is focused on his NFL career in Washington.
The Dolphins haven’t confirmed that Wright’s number was chosen as a shot at Daniels. Still, the timing gave fans plenty of room to read between the lines.
Sometimes a preseason graphic is just a preseason graphic. Other times, it’s a lot more.
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