Baker Mayfield’s rough opening to the 2026 season has opened the door for Jalon Daniels, and the rookie has done more than just keep it from swinging shut.
Mayfield has gone 0-4 in his four starts this year, with turnovers, shaky accuracy and a lack of calm in the pocket shaping his early stretch. Then came the thumb injury - a brutal dislocation of his right thumb in the closing moments of a home loss to the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago - and that sent him to the sideline for an undetermined amount of time.
Daniels, an undrafted rookie who beat out veteran free agent signing Jake Browning for the backup job in training camp, stepped in and handled the assignment. His first NFL outing ended in a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers, but he followed that up with a statement performance in Dallas on Thursday Night Football in Week 2, where he guided Tampa Bay to an impressive and improbable win over one of the league’s most explosive offenses.
Mayfield has supported Daniels publicly while also pushing hard to get back on the field. He recently returned to throwing as he tries to speed up his recovery.
Still, not everyone around the 2020 Super Bowl champions sees the situation the same way. On a recent episode of the 4th and South podcast with Jarvis Landry, former Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette made his case for sticking with Daniels.
"I think, me personally, Jalon Daniels is the perfect fit for the Bucs right now," Fournette said. "They're winning!
When Baker was back there, they weren't winning nothing. So I think it was a blessing and a curse.
I'm not wishing nobody gets hurt, but at the same time, he's giving them more opportunity to win."
Fournette doubled down, saying Daniels gives Tampa Bay the better chance to win right now.
"And I'm not saying Jalon's decision-making is better than Baker," he said. "To me it's even, because Baker throws picks, he fumbles, he does a lot.
But at the end of the day, what can you do for me now? They're winning.
I say keep Daniels in until we figure it out. Yes, Baker's got $100 million contract, but damn that, we want to win, coach."
That opinion may be loud, but it does not appear to be the direction Tampa Bay is headed. Daniels may have flashed in his first two chances, yet the Buccaneers are still expected to be at their best with Mayfield leading the offense over the long haul.
The contract matters, too. The Buccaneers handed Mayfield a huge deal just over a month ago, and there is no realistic path to a healthy Mayfield being benched because of it.
Tampa Bay believes in Mayfield, and Daniels’ recent play can only strengthen that confidence in the backup. But for now, this remains Mayfield’s team, and the Buccaneers are ready to ride with him as their quarterback.
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