Just a few months ago, Jalon Daniels was battling for a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53-man roster. He was listed as the QB4 on the initial depth chart, and was expected to spend his rookie season on the practice squad. Instead, the undrafted rookie surpassed expectations during the preseason and earned the backup quarterback job behind Baker Mayfield.
It was an inspiring underdog story, but now, the fairytale is over. Things just got real, as Daniels is suddenly the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback after Mayfield went down with an injury that will keep him sidelined for a minimum of three weeks.
Jalon Daniels is Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new starting quarterback after Baker Mayfield injury
After naming Daniels as the starting quarterback during Mayfield’s absence Todd Bowles offered a vote of confidence to the rookie.
"He played well in the preseason. He's very bright. He's not going to be out there by himself, there will be 22 other guys out there helping him out, so, we just expect him to his job and play at a high level as he expects of himself,” Bowles said.
Daniels was impressive in preseason action, and even pulled off two game-winning drives. He’s a dual-threat with a rocket arm paired with dangerous speed and mobility.
During the preseason completed 27 of 44 passes for 239 yards, 1 passing touchdown, and no interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown, but also had a fumble lost.
The physical tools are all there, but Daniels needs time to develop mentally and get acclimated to the speed of the pro game. Some time to master the system would have been ideal — but the NFL waits for nobody.
Daniels is now tasked with stepping in for Mayfield and attempting to provide a spark for a lifeless 0-3 Bucs team that is in danger of becoming even more deflated without their franchise quarterback.
While nobody wanted to see Mayfield get hurt, perhaps this could be a blessing in disguise. Mayfield was struggling mightily to start the season, and now he’ll have some time to go back to the drawing board and regroup.
Meanwhile, Daniels has a chance to take meaningful NFL reps much earlier than anybody anticipated. He’ll be thrown into the fire, but the experience will be invaluable and help fast track the rookie’s development.
The Buccaneers can’t wait to get Mayfield back healthy, but if Daniels can bring some much-needed juice to a dormant offense in the meantime, this unexpected opportunity could benefit everybody involved.
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