Buccaneers tap rookie Jalon Daniels as No. 2 quarterback

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 30, 2026

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Jalon Daniels not only won the job as the Buccaneers’ No. 2 quarterback, he’s the only player backing up Baker Mayfield.

The undrafted rookie from Kansas, despite a poor performance in Friday’s preseason shutout loss to Jacksonville, beat out veteran Jake Browning for the job.

Daniels, 23, led the Bucs to comeback wins over the Jets and Chiefs in the preseason, going 19-of-29 passing for 182 yards and a TD. He also rushed for a score.

But playing behind the third- and fourth-string offensive line, he struggled in the shutout loss to the Jaguars despite playing into the third quarter. Daniels went 8-of-15 passing for only 57 yards.

The Bucs released quarterback Connor Bazelak among the cuts made on Saturday.

It’s a somewhat risky decision by the Bucs to keep Daniels as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mayfield. While Mayfield is only one of three quarterbacks to start all 51 games the past three seasons, he has played through an array of injuries. Last season he battled a sprained PCL, MCL and severe bone bruise on this knee as well as a left shoulder AC joint sprain.

“He’s shown a lot,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said of Daniels after Friday’s shutout loss to the Jaguars. ”We’re going to go back and evaluate the film. It’s not really the completions, it’s the overall operation. Make sure he’s fine with that and then we’ll come back and look at the film."

Apparently, the Bucs saw enough of Daniels to think he’s a better option than Browning, whose deal included $400,000 in guaranteed salary.

Not only did Daniels outplay Browning and Bazelak, he has the same skill-set as Mayfield with an ability to extend plays, throw off platform and add rushing yards to the offense.

Among the other players released, according to Greg Auman of Foxsports.com: veteran tight end Devin Culp, linebacker John Bullock, guard Elijah Klein, placekicker B.T. Potter, running back Barika Kpeenu, tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., guard Nash Hutmacher, tackle Marshall Foerner, long snapper Scott Daly, receiver Jha’Quan Jackson, former Steinbrenner High School receiver Dean Patterson IV, receiver Eric Rivers, defensive lineman Jayson Jones, outside linebacker Yasir Holmes and defensive lineman Josiah Green.

Patterson, Holmes and Culp would seem to have a chance to return on the Bucs’ practice squad if they clear waivers.

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