The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed quarterback Jalon Daniels as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason.
Daniels had an uphill battle to make the roster as a raw, developmental prospect. The initial expectation was that he’d compete with Connor Bazelak for the QB3 spot on the practice squad. But from the moment Daniels entered the building, he won over the coaching staff with his energy and attitude. He had a strong rookie minicamp, and when the preseason rolled around, he performed at a level that gave the team no choice but to consider him as the backup quarterback.
Daniels has become a true underdog success story as the undrafted rookie went from a practice squad hopeful to beating out seven-year NFL veteran Jake Browning for the right to be Baker Mayfield’s backup.
“There’s no blueprint for an undrafted rookie becoming your number 2 quarterback. Jalon basically wrote his own,” said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
Jason Licht explains why Jalon Daniels earned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB2 job
Licht spoke to reporters on Tuesday after practice to discuss the unveiling of the 53-man roster. He discussed how Daniels was able to earn the backup quarterback job.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment for an undrafted rookie to get that position… the number one thing is, he earned it. It wasn’t just given to him, you don’t get that honor by just being lucky or having somebody pull strings for you. He earned the trust of his teammates [and] his coaches."
Licht was correct about what a rare accomplishment it is for an undrafted quarterback to make the 53-man roster. According to NFL Network’s Sara Walsh, the last undrafted quarterback to be on a team’s active roster in Week 1 was Trevone Boykin for the Seahawks in 2016.
The Bucs GM went on to explain how Daniels beat out Browning, despite experience being on the veteran’s side.
“We’d rather have a very talented, prepared, inexperienced quarterback than go with experience just for the sake of saying the guy’s experienced.”
It’s great to hear Licht offer that perspective. It’s the same argument I made when I made the case for Daniels to be the backup quarterback. It makes way more sense to gamble on the rookie’s superior upside and go all-in on his long-term development rather than going with the “safe” option. As Bruce Arians would say, "No risk it, no biscuit!"
If Daniels can continue to grow as a quarterback and build on his strong first NFL offseason, he seems to be destined for a long-term future as the backup quarterback in Tampa Bay.
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