The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are turning to Jalon Daniels, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson isn’t treating it like a rescue mission. He’s treating it like a moment Daniels has been built for.
With Baker Mayfield injured, the Buccaneers are set to become the NFL’s first team to start a rookie quarterback this season, and Daniels - an undrafted rookie - gets the call. For a team sitting at 0-3 and searching for anything that can shake loose some momentum, the move puts a lot on a young quarterback’s shoulders. But inside One Buc Place, the message is confidence, not panic.
Robinson is the one charged with making it all work. That’s no small task, but he’s been in a similar kind of adjustment mode before.
During his time with the Atlanta Falcons, he had to reshape his offense around both veteran Kirk Cousins and young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at different points. That experience should matter now, because Tampa Bay needs a plan that fits Daniels, not one forced on him.
And Robinson clearly trusts what he has in the rookie.
He has been high on Daniels from the start, calling him the biggest standout of rookie minicamp back in May. He spent the offseason coaching him, then made the decision to keep him as the backup quarterback. The belief in Daniels isn’t just casual praise - it sounds like conviction.
“If there’s a guy that I’ve been around that’s been this young to go knock out an opportunity it would be JD… He will not be scared. He’ll go in there, he’s got juice he’s got a ton of confidence… there’s a different energy level when he was playing in those preseason games. Anticipate that exact same thing, but at the end of the day when the football is kicked off at 1 o'clock, it’s football to him," Robinson said.
That “juice” Robinson keeps coming back to is part of the appeal. Daniels, in his view, changes the feel of the offense when he’s out there. The Bucs are hoping that energy translates into production when the game starts for real.
Robinson also pointed to how fast Daniels climbed during camp, saying his rise was tied to the way he handled his chances.
“Obviously his journey and how quickly it escalated throughout training camp was a credit to him doing a great job with his opportunities. So he’s got a fun opporutnity… I’m excited for him.
I know the rest of the team is excited for him and looking forward for a great moment for him. It’ll be really cool to see the guys rally around him.”
That’s where the Buccaneers are now: a coaching staff and locker room backing a rookie into a spotlight he didn’t exactly plan for, but one they believe he can handle. The next step is simple enough to say and much harder to pull off - Daniels has to make the opportunity count and help Tampa Bay get its first win of the season.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Suddenly Face A Bigger Baker Mayfield Problem Than Expected
Baker Mayfields thumb injury has turned into a much bigger issue for the Buccaneers than a short-term scare. The veteran quarterback suffered a dislocated thumb and is expected to miss multiple games, with his return hinging on how quickly he regains grip strength. For Tampa Bay, the timing is especially tricky because Mayfield had been in the middle of another season as the teams starter after appearing in three games so far.
The immediate answer is rookie Jalon Daniels, who has been named the backup and will start while Mayfield is out. It puts an abrupt spotlight on Tampa Bays quarterback depth and raises the stakes around how the offense functions without the player the Buccaneers signed to a multi-year deal. The bigger question now is not just who starts next, but how long the team has to live without Mayfield and what kind of shape he is in when he finally returns. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fan Goes Viral For A Gameday Moment Bucs Fans Pounced On
A gameday photo from the Packers-Buccaneers matchup quickly took on a life of its own, with a Green Bay fan in a cheese-themed outfit drawing plenty of attention on social media. Buccaneers fans, already tuned into a rough start for their own team, jumped on the image and helped turn a random moment from the stands into one of the evenings louder online talking points.
It fit the mood around Tampa Bay, where the Bucs came in at 0-3 and were turning to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback because of Baker Mayfields injury. Green Bay arrived at 1-2, but the game was about more than the records for Tampa Bay supporters, who had little patience to spare and plenty of time to notice, and react to, anything that stood out. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Became The Center Of Tampa Bay's Biggest Debate
The Buccaneers slow start has pushed Todd Bowles into the middle of a conversation nobody in Tampa Bay wanted to have this early. At 0-4, with a 3-12 record stretching back to last season, the losses are piling up fast enough to turn every miscue into a referendum on direction, execution and leadership. Bowles stepped to the podium after the latest setback and owned the mess, taking responsibility while insisting he still believes he can guide the team out of it.
Bowles has handled the public side of the slump the way a veteran coach usually does, but the frustration around the team is only growing because so many of the defeats have stayed within reach. Close games tend to sharpen the focus on the head coach, and if the Buccaneers keep coming up short in those spots, the accountability debate will only get louder. For now, Bowles is asking for patience, even as the results make that a harder sell by the week. [Read more 🡒]