Jayden Daniels Shares Why His Mom Regina Jackson Is His Secret to NFL Success
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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is learning early in his NFL career that who you surround yourself with matters just as much as talent. For Daniels, that lesson came straight from his mother, Regina Jackson — someone he credits with shaping both his mindset and his career.
In a Boardroom cover story, Daniels opened up about how his mom’s influence helped him stay grounded as he transitioned from LSU standout to NFL starting quarterback.
“Nothing gets past my mama,” Daniels said. “
That’s the biggest thing. She reads people and doesn’t put people around me that don’t benefit me. My mom’s support through this journey has been huge.”
Daniels said Jackson is the one who keeps his circle small and focused, something many athletes learn the hard way.
“For her to show up at every game whether it’s sunny, hot, rainy or cold? She’ll throw on three or four coats and be cheering no matter what, making sure that I’m my best and taking as much off my plate as possible,
Jackson isn’t just a supportive parent — she also manages Daniels’ business affairs. Her involvement ensures that her son stays focused on football while she handles the details off the field.
“He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, and he knows football and he does it very well… but he doesn’t know the business world,” Jackson said on “The Pivot” podcast. “He feels comfortable knowing that not only am I educated and qualified to do it, I’m also his mom.”
Regina Jackson Is Her Son’s Strongest Shield
Daniels’ mother has been by his side since his early days at Arizona State and LSU, helping him avoid common pitfalls young athletes face. In the
Boardroom feature, Daniels said that her presence gives him peace of mind, especially as fame and money bring new challenges.
Jackson has made it clear that her job isn’t just about managing contracts — it’s about protecting her son from people who don’t have his best interests at heart.
“It’s my job to make sure that when people come around, they’re there for the right reasons,” she said. “You never know who’s really there for you and who’s really against you.”
That protective instinct extends beyond football. On “The Pivot” podcast, she admitted that her biggest fear as a mother isn’t injuries or losses — it’s “them girls.” Jackson laughed as she explained the comment that went viral after a previous interview. “It was a question I was asked, ‘What is your biggest fear?’ That should be every parent’s biggest fear,” she said. “You never know who’s really there for you because your name and your dollar amount are attached.”
Her mix of humor and honesty has made her a favorite among Commanders fans, who often point to her as a key reason why Daniels carries himself with maturity well beyond his years.
Jayden Daniels’ Mom Responds to RGIII Comparisons
When Daniels suffered a right hamstring injury during Washington’s blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, fans began comparing him to former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III — whose promising career
was derailed by injuries. Jackson quickly shut down the conversation.
“I wish you would stop manifesting RGIII on my son,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Words are powerful and
that’s all that’s talked about.”
Griffin later responded with support, writing, “I have always supported Jayden Daniels and want nothing but the best for him. Being QB1 in Washington DC comes with an intense spotlight that I know well. You love your son
and the real fans do too.”
The exchange underscored what Daniels has said all along — his mom is his biggest advocate, both in public and behind the scenes. As he continues his rookie season in Washington, it’s clear that Regina Jackson’s guidance has given him more than a strong start in football — it’s given him the foundation for a long, successful career.
No Chance to Succeed: Dillon Gabriel’s NFL Start Undermined by Chaos and Mismanagement Within Cleveland’s Leadership Team
Nothing has stirred up a hotter debate around NFL circles in recent weeks than the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation.
What else is new?
Head coach Kevin Stefanski raised more than a few eyebrows some days ago when he committed to third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel for the Browns’ Week 10 matchup against the Jets after the team’s bye, literally moments after the Oregon product put up one of the most putrid performances we’ve seen by any passer all year long.
That comment came on the heels of a statement made previously, where Stefanski admitted that fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel’s backup, hadn’t taken any first-team reps in practice, and before the Browns deactivated Sanders due to a back problem, promoting Bailey Zappe as the backup for the Pats tilt.
Let’s be perfectly clear here: Gabriel has been one of the worst quarterbacks, if not the worst, during the 2025 campaign. There’s no way around that. He should absolutely be benched, under normal circumstances. Nevertheless, Cleveland refuses to operate under normal circumstances.
Remember, the Browns acquired quarterback Kenny Pickett from the Eagles in March, roughly a month before signing Joe Flacco after his disastrous year in Indianapolis.
Those two vets ate up a huge chunk of first-team reps during the offseason and training camp, leaving Gabriel and Sanders a few leftovers and a workload consisting mainly of second and third-team reps, sharing those with Zappe, as well. Even outsider Tyler Huntley was brought onboard for a few weeks during camp, when most of Cleveland’s passers were suffering physical limitations.
There seemed to be a plan: start Flacco or Pickett -- or both -- during the season, let the rookies grow and develop over time. No rush.
Well, that didn’t last long. Pickett -- promised a chance to compete for the starting gig -- was shipped out to the Raiders in August, Flacco was named starter, and Gabriel began getting first-team reps as the backup.
Then, Flacco proceeded to play some of the worst football of his career and ended up being benched for one game in favor of Gabriel before being sent away too, to Cincinnati. The rookie has been starting since, and while his no interception approach was welcomed during his first couple of outings after Flacco’s turnover-fest at the beginning of the year, it’s fairly obvious now that Gabriel just can’t threaten the intermediate or deep zones consistently, something any quarterback at the NFL level would be asked to do.
Meanwhile, Stefanski surprised folks when he didn’t commit to Sanders as the backup initially, after Flacco was dealt. And now his refusal to not only let him start, but at least give him some first-team reps, has ignited all sorts of conspiracy theories among observers.
Considering all the events of the last few months, and the way the Browns are playing as a team, it’s fair to wonder if Gabriel was set up for failure from the beginning. The “Supercomputer” has revealed a myriad of glitches on the playing field, but was he ever properly groomed to start at any point of the season during the summer? If the Browns do make a change to Sanders, what will his chances be, after getting virtually no first-reps throughout this whole process?
Therefore, it might be hard to argue against keeping Gabriel in the lineup, no matter how unpopular this take might be. If you want to pinpoint a waste of time, look no further than all the first-team reps Flacco and Pickett split during the offseason, when they’re no longer on the roster.
So maybe Sanders is better off staying put, developing behind the scenes while Gabriel gets punished on and off the field on a weekly basis. Because really, at this point, one has to wonder if the Browns still have a plan at the quarterback position, or if there ever was a plan to begin with. Inserting Sanders in the lineup now could just be putting him in an impossible position, like Gabriel.
What’s the alternative, then? Well, if Stefanski is confident in his job security, then the plan going forward might be clear: let Gabriel start the rest of the way and invest the inevitable resulting high first-round draft pick on a blue-chip prospect. Keep Gabriel and Sanders onboard, in hopes of trading them in the future once the position is settled for 2026.
Would this strategy guarantee future success? Not even remotely. But it still sounds like a better plan than betting on Flacco/Pickett, doesn’t it?
Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw Gets Honest After Polarizing Decision
Dre Greenlaw is set to return to the field for the Denver Broncos in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, and the veteran linebacker spoke candidly about his absence in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Greenlaw served a one-game suspension for using what the league called “abusive language” towards official Brad Allen in Week 7, when the Broncos beat the New York Giants.
Greenlaw is ready to show why the Broncos targeted him in free agency.
Dre Greenlaw Ready to Prove Broncos Right
GettyDre Greenlaw is a fitting mentor for Broncos prospect JB Brown.
Greenlaw met with the media on Thursday for the first time since the NFL upheld his suspension, which came without pay.
Despite his appeal, Greenlaw put the onus on himself to avoid situations that harm the team.
“I just shouldn’t have put my teammates and the team in that position. That was just a emotional game. First game back, just turnt. And so, yeah,” Greenlaw told reporters on October 30. “Of course, you want to be out there. Anytime you got a game, you want to be out there. But, just whip the Texans. That’s all I can think of. So, I’ve been watching them all week.”
Greenlaw said “it felt good” making his debut in Week 7 after suffering a quad injury, which delayed his return to the field for the first time since Week 16 of the 2024 season with the San Francisco 49ers. He is looking to build on that.
“The defense is already a really, really good defense,’’ Greenlaw said, per The Denver Gazette’s Chris Thomasson. “We got top-notch guys from the back end to the front end. So the sky is the limit for what we have done and what we still got to do. We still got plenty more out there. … For me, it’s not about me coming in and trying to do more, be more or anything; it’s just about me going out there and being myself. That’s why they brought me here.”
Dre Greenlaw Left In Dark Over Suspension Trigger
Greenlaw, who inked a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Broncos in free agency this past offseason, said the league did not specify which part of what he said triggered the suspension.
“They just re-showed clips or whatever,” Greenlaw said. “They’re going to make their decision, and all you can do is just do what they tell you.”
The NFL executive vice president, Troy Vincent, called Greenlaw’s actions “unacceptable.”
“People say, ‘Well, what did he say?’ I think we should ask Dre that. Maybe he shared with his coach what was actually shared. But there’s just no place in the game to run an official down after a game to share your feelings,” Vincent told Mike Florio on “Pro Football Talk” on October 23. “Game’s over. Celebrate the victory.”
Broncos head coach Sean Payton pointed to past precedent, saying such interactions typically result in fines during his media availability on October 22.
Vincent acknowledged the NFL made an example out of Greenlaw.
Dre Greenlaw Could Stay on Snap Count
GettyDenver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph gets to work with a re-tooled secondary in 2025.
Greenlaw said that he can “go all day” on Sunday, which would be a big boost for a Broncos defense that will be without All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II for several weeks due to a strained pectoral muscle.
However, the Broncos eased Greenlaw back into the lineup in his return, and they could continue with that plan in Week 9.
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph praised Greenlaw, but offered a reality check.
“Mentally, he’s been awesome. He’s been locked in. He’s been studying. Even when he wasn’t practicing, he’s taking the walkthrough reps. He’s taking every walkthrough rep. So, mentally, he’s fine. Physically, obviously, he needs more reps to kind of get his football air. And he was a little tired Week [8], but um it’s good having him back. Again, you having your best players back is always a good thing,” Joseph told reporters on October 30.
“He’s back on his schedule to kind of just keep moving forward, and playing good football, and keep practicing, and keep growing as a player. And to have a chance to play back-to-back weeks is going to be key for Dre, and that’s the goal.”
