Jayden Daniels’ comment about Eagles fans raises a question.

Who is the chief rival of the Washington Commanders? In my youth into early adulthood, there was no use in asking the question. In fact, Redskins fans didn’t ask the question. Plain and simple, it was the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys had won the division six consecutive seasons (1966-71) until George Allen’s Redskins finished on top in 1972, then romped the Cowboys 26-3 in the NFC Championship Game at RFK, before losing Super Bowl VII to the Miami Dolphins (14-7).

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Daniels, the Commanders‘ franchise quarterback, praised the Eagles‘ fans, raising eyebrows across the DMV. However, was Daniels saying they are a wonderful fan base that exhibits tremendous sportsmanship when they come into Philadelphia to play the Eagles? Or was Daniels revealing he understood the Eagles are now his chief rival?

“I love Eagles fans,” Daniels told Sports Illustrated. “They just embody what Philly brings. To be able to go out there and play against them, it’s kind of just that thing. Their environment is kind of like the closest thing you can get to a college environment.”

Daniels faced the Eagles three times in his rookie season of 2024, when the two teams split in the regular season. Daniels passed for five touchdowns in a comeback win over the Eagles, and suddenly, Eagles fans knew Washington was back as one of the Eagles’ rivals in the NFC East. The Eagles then ran away from the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia.

Daniels has played in two games in Philadelphia. He will be treated worse. Hey, I recall seeing a noose with a No. 9 player hanging from it when the Redskins went to Philadelphia. Sonny Jurgensen, of course, had been traded from the Eagles to the Redskins, which created much more for Eagles fans to hate when Jurgensen developed into a Hall of Fame quarterback as a Washington Redskin.

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So why did Daniels say he likes Eagles fans? Daniels is not naive. He knows many of those fans would actually wish him physical harm, rather than have to face him the next decade. No, Daniels was saying that he likes that those fans are that emotional about their games. He was saying he accepts the challenge of playing the Eagles twice (or more) each season.

Daniels was simply saying, he is not going to let the Eagles fans get to him. It’s likely the comment was made because Daniels was thinking of how he missed both Eagles games in 2025 due to injury.

Even more, Jayden Daniels is looking forward to playing the Eagles in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Does Jayden Daniels understand Eagles’ rivalry?