Jalon Daniels has won the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ backup quarterback job to open the 2026 season, according to a source who spoke to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The undrafted rookie began training camp as a long shot to make the roster behind starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and veteran Jake Browning, who signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay earlier this year. Daniels impressed during training camp and the Buccaneers’ preseason schedule, ultimately beating out Browning for the No. 2 role.
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“[Daniels] has shown a lot. He’s shown a lot,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said after Friday’s preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. “We’re going to go back and evaluate the film.”
Daniels joined the Buccaneers earlier this year on a contract that included a $25,000 signing bonus. The former Kansas star appeared in all three of Tampa Bay’s preseason games, completing 61.4% of his passes for 239 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Daniels started Friday’s 19-0 loss to the Jaguars but struggled, completing 8 of 15 attempts for 57 yards and losing a fumble.
“It’s not really the completions,” Bowles said. “It’s the overall operation to make sure he’s fine with that, and then we’ll come back and look at the film because it wasn’t very good offensively tonight.”
