The Buccaneers have spent most of this conversation in one lane: Baker Mayfield is the guy, and that has not really changed. The only thing keeping a new deal from getting done before the start of the 2026 NFL regular season is dollars and cents. Everything else coming out of Tampa Bay points the same direction.
What has changed is the safety net behind him.
The Bucs went into the offseason planning to have Jake Browning as the backup after bringing him in from the Cincinnati Bengals to replace Teddy Bridgewater, who has since retired. That setup never really held once undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels turned heads in the preseason. Daniels played so well that Tampa Bay had no choice but to hand him the QB2 job on merit alone.
Then Browning declined the practice squad offer, and that left the Buccaneers with a much clearer reality: if something happens to Mayfield, it is Daniels or bust.
That matters because Tampa Bay already saw what life looks like when Mayfield can’t finish. Against the Los Angeles Rams last season, the Buccaneers were beaten for a lot of reasons, but the quarterback situation was one of them.
Bridgewater came in, and the offense went nowhere. He looked done at the NFL level, which turned out to be true when he retired at the end of the season.
Daniels is not a one-for-one stand-in for Mayfield, and the source of his upside still comes with obvious limits. Even after an eye-catching offseason, the Kansas Jayhawk showed late in the preseason that he still has a long way to go before he is ready to start an NFL game.
Still, Tampa Bay is in a better place than it was a year ago. If the Buccaneers need someone to step in for Mayfield, Daniels at least brings a live arm and a real chance to create something.
He can run, improvise, and attack down the field. That alone gives the Bucs a backup quarterback who can do more of the things the starter does, and maybe even steal a game or two if the situation calls for it.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Future Just Pulled A Familiar Name Into The Bowles Debate
Todd Bowles future in Tampa Bay is going to shape plenty of offseason discussion, but the early speculation is already reaching beyond the current staff. A Bleacher Report piece floated Mike Tomlin as a possible Buccaneers candidate in 2027 if Bowles is no longer on the sideline, and the idea is easy enough to see why it has legs. Tomlin knows the organization from his time here as a defensive backs coach, and he has stayed visible while working in sports broadcasting.
For the Buccaneers, the bigger question is less about one name than about where the franchise is headed by then. If Bowles keeps the team winning, the conversation shifts. If the results change or retirement becomes part of the picture, the search could quickly turn toward an established coach with Tampa Bay ties, which is why Tomlins name is already in the mix even this far out. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get Encouraging Week 1 Injury News Before Bengals Opener
The Buccaneers got their first injury report of the 2026 season this week, and the early read before the opener against Cincinnati is mostly encouraging. Sean Tucker is still working back from a hamstring injury and is listed as a game-time decision, while Emeka Egbuka, who had been dealing with a sprained toe, was a full participant in practice and looks on track for Sunday.
Jalen McMillan was limited with a knee injury, but the signs around him have been positive, and outside linebacker Rueben Bain also practiced in a limited role because of a minor AC joint sprain. Even with a few players still being managed carefully, the Bucs appear to have avoided the kind of early-season injury pileup that can complicate a Week 1 game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Enters A Buccaneers Season With No More Excuses
Todd Bowles heads into the Buccaneers 2026 offseason with the kind of pressure that comes with stability, not chaos. Baker Mayfield is under contract, key players are healthy again, and the roster looks positioned to justify bigger expectations than the ones Tampa Bay has been living with in recent years. That changes the conversation around Bowles, because the usual injury excuses and quarterback uncertainty are no longer there to soften the edges.
The Athletic recently put Bowles third on its list of NFL head coaches most likely to be fired in 2026, a reminder that the league is always quick to turn up the heat when results lag behind talent. For Bowles, the next stretch is less about explaining away setbacks and more about proving the Buccaneers can take the next step with the pieces already in place. The margin for patience is shrinking, and the season ahead may say plenty about how long that leash really is. [Read more 🡒]