Jalon Daniels wasted little time making himself noticed in Tampa Bay.
In the Buccaneers’ 24-16 preseason win over the New York Jets on Friday night, the rookie quarterback put together a second-half showing that drew a strong endorsement from head coach Todd Bowles. Daniels, an undrafted rookie from Kansas, finished 10 of 15 for 111 yards and added a rushing touchdown in his 2026 preseason debut.
With Baker Mayfield and Jake Browning sitting out, Connor Bazelak opened at quarterback before Daniels entered for the second half. Even with Daniels listed fourth on the Buccaneers’ quarterback depth chart, the outing gave him a real chance to strengthen his case for a roster spot. Mayfield and Browning are ahead of him, while Daniels and Bazelak may be battling for the final quarterback job.
Bowles liked what he saw, especially the way Daniels handled the moment.
“I thought he was very poised,” Bowles said. “He went in relaxed.
We knew he could make off-schedule plays out of the pocket, but he played very confidently in the pocket. He made the right reads.
He zipped some throws in there. I thought he played very well.”
The coach also pointed to Daniels’ patience, noting that the rookie stayed within the offense instead of chasing something bigger.
“He took what they gave him,” said Bowles. “He didn't try to get out of there too fast and he was calm under pressure, and he let the system work for him as opposed to just trying to make a play. He did some very good things tonight from a poise standpoint.”
That’s a notable compliment for a quarterback whose reputation at Kansas was built on improvisation and using his legs. Daniels has said he’s been working to shed some of those college habits as he learns Tampa Bay’s system.
His college résumé backs up the playmaking ability. In 49 games at Kansas, Daniels threw for 9,282 yards, 67 touchdowns and 31 interceptions while completing 61.5% of his passes. He also ran for 1,445 yards and 23 scores.
His numbers took a jump from 2024 to 2025, when his passing touchdowns rose from 14 to 22 and his interceptions dropped from 12 to seven. His completion percentage also improved from 57% to 62.1%.
One preseason game won’t settle anything, but Daniels gave himself a meaningful opening in Tampa Bay’s quarterback competition.
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