Washington Commanders first-round draft pick Jayden Daniels will be educated on the NFL’s sports gambling policy this week at the team’s rookie minicamp, a person with knowledge of the matter said, probably nixing the quarterback’s wager with New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Nabers, who was teammates with Daniels at LSU, said on “The Pivot” podcast the night of the draft that he and Daniels bet $10,000 on who would win rookie of the year honors.
“Whoever lose got to pay I think it’s $10,000 cash,” Nabers said.
Daniels was asked about the bet when the rookie appeared on Keyshawn Johnson’s “All Facts No Brakes” podcast in an episode released this week.
“Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody,” Daniels said. “It’s supposed to be — we got a little something going on.”
Daniels confirmed that the two players have a $10,000 bet on who will win the rookie of the year.
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“I mean, he put it out there, so it’s like I can’t say [he’s lying], so …” Daniels added.
The NFL had no immediate comment.
Players are first informed about the league’s gambling policy, which was updated last fall, at their teams’ rookie minicamps. For the Commanders, that started Thursday when players arrived at the team’s facility in Ashburn for physicals and meetings, which include presentations on league and team protocols. Rookies will take the field Friday and Saturday.
The NFL revised its policy in 2023 to include more stringent penalties for some violations and reduce the penalties for others. The latest policy does not appear to have explicit language pertaining to private bets with friends and family.
Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, was Daniels’s leading receiver the past two seasons at LSU. He led the FBS in receiving yards per game (120.7) in 2023 and finished his three years at LSU with program records in catches (189) and receiving yards (3,003).
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“That boy, he a dog, man,” Daniels told Johnson. “He’s a true receiver. That’s my brother, man. … He believes he’s always open, but he’s a dog. He’s competitive for real. If he don’t think a DB [can] guard him, he’ll going to let him know. If he catch a ball, he going to make a play, he’s going to let you know.”
Stokes out as director of player personnel
The Commanders did not renew the contract of senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes, a person with knowledge of the decision said. With an overhauled front office led by General Manager Adam Peters, the move was expected and may not be the only change to the team’s personnel department.
Stokes joined the team in 2020 as its director of pro scouting and was elevated a year later to his most recent role, taking over for longtime scout and vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith, who is now the assistant GM for the Atlanta Falcons.
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A fifth-round pick out of Nebraska in 1997, Stokes played two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive back before moving to a career as a scout and executive. After 12 years with the Seahawks’ personnel department, he spent two years with the Buccaneers, two more as the Miami Dolphins’ assistant GM and then four with the Carolina Panthers.
Daniels secures No. 5
On the first day of rookie camp, Daniels landed one of his biggest victories to date: reclaiming No. 5. Punter Tress Way, who has worn No. 5 for the entirety of his career in Washington, gave it up to the rookie quarterback, announcing the gesture in a video posted on the team’s X account.
“I understand that there’s been a little bit of hype going on about a certain number,” Way said in the video, with a No. 5 Daniels jersey hanging in a locker behind him. “Maybe you could take a look around. Maybe a little bit behind me you’ll see if there’s any big news. But I think there may be somebody new in town.”
Way got emotional in another video as he shared some of the memories attached to the number and explained way he decided to give it up.
“My wife said, ‘Why do you have the 'C’ in the first place? What gives you the C?’” he said of his captaincy. “There is just so much excitement for this organization, hands down the most I have every seen.”
Way’s new number is to be determined.
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