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With Jayden Daniels in a dispute with LSU that reportedly stems from the use of his former jersey number, another Heisman Trophy-winning Tigers quarterback, Joe Burrow, said he had been told that the team would not use his No. 9 jersey again.

“They told me that they wouldn’t use it again, but you never know what happens,” Burrow told reporters after the Cincinnati Bengals’ 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener Thursday.

Burrow, who led LSU to an undefeated season and a national title in 2019, wore No. 9 for two seasons before being drafted by the Bengals. No LSU player has worn it since.

Daniels, now the quarterback for the Washington Commanders, sent LSU a letter from his lawyers demanding that the Tigers end any use of his name, image and likeness. The cease-and-desist letter, which was issued to LSU vice president and athletic director Verge Ausberry on Aug. 5 and obtained by The Athletic, alleges, without providing specific instances, that the school has used Daniels’ NIL past its authorization date.

ESPN reported, based on a statement it received from a family spokesperson, that the dispute began when LSU issued the No. 5 Daniels wore there to another player, cornerback DJ Pickett. LSU has declined to comment. Daniels won the Heisman Trophy after the 2023 season and holds LSU records for career and season rushing yards by a quarterback.

When asked about the situation with Daniels, Burrows demurred.

“I don’t necessarily have too many thoughts at this time,” Burrow said. “I just heard about it a couple of hours ago. I don’t know enough about the situation to have any thoughts.”

LSU’s protocol for retiring jerseys requires the honoree to be five years removed from college competition and to have recorded “unique” performances, “such as winning of a Heisman Trophy or National Player of the Year award.”

The Community Shield is often treated as little more than the traditional curtain-raiser to a new Premier League season. But when Arsenal and Manchester City meet in Cardiff on Sunday, there will be an added intrigue over whether this early-season clash can offer any clues about which of these two sides is better prepared to challenge for the title.

Recent history suggests caution. Crystal Palace beat 2025 champions Liverpool on penalties in last season’s showpiece, before Liverpool endured a disappointing title defence.

A year earlier, Manchester City edged Manchester United on penalties but failed to go on and win the league. In 2023, Arsenal beat City in a shoot-out, only for City to claim the Premier League title.

In other words, the Community Shield has recently been a reliable source of penalty drama, but a poor predictor of what happens over the following nine months.

That makes this year’s meeting more interesting for what it tells us about the present rather than the future.

Arsenal arrive with momentum after winning the league for the first time in 22 years, while City are embarking on a new era, with Enzo Maresca taking charge competitively for the first time following his appointment to replace Pep Guardiola.

The betting market makes Arsenal narrow favourites at 13/8, with City 7/4 and the draw 12/5.

Goals are expected in the Community Shield, with both teams to score priced at 8/13, compared with 5/4 for both sides not to find the net.

A 1-1 draw is the favourite correct score at 5/1, while 1-0 and 2-1 to either team are all rated at 8/1.

Those prices reflect how difficult it is to separate the sides — something that could also define the title race itself. Arsenal are 6/4 favourites to win the 2026/27 Premier League, with City next at 11/4.

For Arsenal, the game is an opportunity to underline that last season’s success was the beginning of a new period of dominance rather than a one-off achievement.

For City, it represents the chance to signal that the transition into a new era will not mean surrendering their place at the top of English football.

Ultimately, the Community Shield may tell us very little about who will lift the Premier League trophy next May. But it could provide something almost as valuable at this stage, an early psychological edge and a first indication of which side is ready to hit the ground running.