Jayden Daniels and JuJu Watkins have once again found themselves at the center of romantic speculation after a handshake went viral yesterday following the Washington Commanders’ 27-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. In the video, Daniels embraces his mother, then turns to Watkins and exchanges what appears to be a personalized handshake. The moment reignited dating rumors that had been circulating around them for months, sparking another round of speculation on social media about whether there was more to their relationship than mere friendship.
Backing up a bit, Jayden is the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders. He’s coming off a historic rookie season in which he won the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year award while leading his team to the NFC Championship game. Though he played collegiately at LSU (after time at Arizona State), Daniels is originally from Southern California, giving him a natural regional tie to JuJu. Meanwhile, Juju Watkins is one of the brightest names in women’s college basketball. She grew up in Los Angeles and stars for USC. Although she’s sidelined for the 2025-2026 season after suffering a torn ACL, she has become a major NIL entrant and national personality. The local roots that Daniels and Watkins share have only added fuel to fan interest in their interactions over time.
Rumors about them began earlier this year, coinciding with appearances together courtside during the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Cameras caught them talking and sharing moments before Jayden’s mother, Regina Jackson, intervened by taking a seat between them. Around that same time, a clip surfaced of them leaving JuJu’s birthday party together, which again stirred speculation that they might be more than just acquaintances. The secret handshake yesterday is the latest highly visible interaction that fans interpret as more than casual, with many commenting that it was cute and told us everything we needed to know about their “relationship.”
An intriguing piece to the puzzle is, of course, Jayden’s mother, Regina Jackson. For quite some time, she’s been vocal about protecting her son from distractions, especially romantic ones. In the Prime Video docuseries The Money Game, Jackson famously said that her biggest fear was the girls who might pursue Jayden for the wrong reasons. Some of Jackson’s previous actions (sitting between them at games, joining social outings, etc.) have provoked backlash from fans who feel that she’s overstepping. Jackson recently responded to her critics by clarifying that although she has strong instincts and her input is valued, her son is free to make his own decisions. Jayden himself has acknowledged his mother’s protective nature, calling her someone who can “read people” and crediting her with being a key to keeping his circle tight.
So what do Jayden and JuJu themselves say? At this moment, they’ve both stayed noncommittal. There’s no public confirmation that they’re dating. Some media outlets classify the relationship as one of close friendship or mutual respect between two elite athletes from the same area. When JuJu Watkins was asked to comment during an off-guard airport exchange, she declined to address Daniels directly. Although Jayden frequently shows support for Watkins by attending her games, he has also not made any personal declarations. Elsewhere, some online chatter suggests that the two might be related somehow, implying a cousin-like relationship rather than a romantic one. To date, there has been no verified evidence to confirm this theory.
In the end, whether Jayden and JuJu are actually a couple or simply friends with chemistry and mutual respect is up for debate. The viral handshake didn’t necessarily come with a caption that said “It’s official,” but it definitely didn’t stop the hypothesizing from dying down either. Both of them have remained very careful about crossing the line publicly. If things continue this way, this will be a conversation that lasts a long time. What do you think, though? Are they just friends, or is there something more between them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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