Is Jayden Daniels Japanese? Washington Commanders Quarterback Wears Surprising Flag Sticker On Helmet

Jayden Daniels must be of Japanese heritage because he wore the flag of Japan on his helmet during his first game of the 2025 NFL season on Sunday. This is news to pretty much everyone.

And, to be completely honest, I am unable to confirm the exact lineage.

It was rather confusing to see the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders wear a different country’s flag on his helmet below the stars and bars. Especially because he did not wear that same flag during the 2024 NFL season.

The NFL allows players to represent their heritage.

The National Football League first allowed its players to wear a helmet decal of the country or territory’s flag that represents their nationality or cultural heritage during specific weeks in 2022. That policy continued in 2023. The rule changed in 2024.

Players are now allowed to wear a different country’s flag on their helmet throughout the entire season, not just in specific weeks. It must always be positioned below the Star-Spangled Banner.

More than 450 players and coaches represented 73 different countries last season.