When the 2025 schedule came out, Christian Hall had his eye on the Washington Commanders' Week 5 matchup.
A Washington fan since the Sean Taylor years, Hall had never seen his team play in person. The chance to catch the game on Sunday was a "dream come true" for the Los Angeles native.
"It was always on my bucket list, but my wife surprised me and bought the tickets early on…I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I couldn't believe it," Hall said.
The Burgundy & Gold's trip to Los Angeles presented an exciting opportunity for thousands of fans on the Western part of the country to cheer on their favorite team. The scores of Commanders faithful had a loud, energetic presence at SoFi Stadium, helping to cheer their team on to their third win of the season. Adding to the hype for this base was witnessing Los Angeleno Jayden Daniels in action for the first time as a pro in his hometown.
When Washington comes to a place like Los Angeles, disparate pockets of fans have a treasured moment to come together in a concentrated fashion. James and Gloria Sagario were thrilled to see many fellow fans on their flight down from Sacramento and in their hotel. A fan rally at Tom's Watch Bar on Saturday before the game provided a space they typically don't get.
"I've never seen so many Commanders fans at one place in one time," Gloria Sagario said. "It was nice to see."
That scene and community feel was magnified the following day at SoFi Stadium, where burgundy and gold could be seen in nearly every section.
"Right now, it's kind of feeling like a home game," James Sagario said.
Many of those repping the visiting team donned the jersey of Washington's starting quarterback. Sure, that might be typical attire for fans of any NFL team in-stadium on gameday, especially when the signal-caller won Rookie of the Year honors nine months ago and has ushered in a new era for the franchise. However, this game was special for Washington's #5 and folks like him who are also from the Los Angeles area.
"I've talked to people from the San Bernardino area where Jayden went to high school and they're coming to the game just to watch him," lifelong fan Dan Tacante said.
Meanwhile, Jaylin Greyhag has spent years pulling for a different NFL team but admits that watching Daniels' rise has struck a particular California chord with her.
"They're a fun team to watch. Their energy is just magnetic," the Palm Desert, California, native said. "Jayden Daniels being local, from San Bernardino, not far from where I grew up. Just exciting for me to see someone near where I'm from do well."
A similar sentiment, albeit with an extra wrinkle, was expressed by Lenny Snyder, who attended the game with his wife Jacqueline and kids Jayden and Lenora. Snyder played football back in the day with Daniels' dad Javon and has known Daniels since he was a kid.
"To have an attachment to somebody who's on the field is pretty special," Snyder said. "Really a special time. Happy for the family. Happy for Commanders nation. It's pretty amazing."
In the leadup to the Chargers' game, Daniels himself was vocal about the special quality of this homecoming. There were questions about whether the quarterback would play after he missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee injury.
"[To] be able to play back in my hometown as a pro, it would mean everything," Daniels said during the week.
The stars aligned, and Daniels was healthy. The quarterback led his team to victory, and along the way became the first QB in NFL history to have 4,000-plus yards passing and 1,000-plus rushing yards in his first 20 career games. Immediately after celebrating with his team and showing good sportsmanship to the Chargers, Daniels ran to a sideline suite packed with loved ones who wouldn't miss this "first."
"It means a lot. First game after a couple weeks off and to be in my hometown, I mean you can't write up a better story," Daniels said after the win.
