Jalon Daniels walked off the field at AT&T Stadium with his first NFL win in hand, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie made sure the moment didn’t stay on the field for long.
After leading the Buccaneers to a 24-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Daniels took to X with a short message for the fans: “GO BUCS, BABY!❤️🖤 #WeAreTheKrewe,” wrote the backup signal-caller.
It was the kind of night that can change how a young quarterback is seen. Daniels, who went undrafted in April, turned in the strongest performance of his young career in Tampa Bay’s first win after an 0-4 start.
He completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards, threw one touchdown and did not turn the ball over. He also added seven carries for 23 yards.
The 23-year-old’s night carried extra weight because of how he got here. Daniels was pushed into action in Week 3 after Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a thumb injury, and his first start in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers was, by his own standard, a modest showing. He said he would be better, and against Dallas he backed it up in a prime-time setting.
“Six months ago, if you would have told me that my first win would have been on a Thursday night, (Amazon) Prime football game, I don't know what I would have told you,” said Daniel, as quoted by the Associated Press' Schuyler Dixon.
There was also a personal side to the celebration. After the game, Daniels shared a moment with his mother, Star Daniels, who told him how proud she was of her son.
Fans quickly flooded in with their own congratulations after the win.
“Let's go, JD! We love you. Go Bucs,” said @Noahkp9q.
“So happy for you. You deserve every moment of this 💙❤️,” added @F34r_damac.
“So proud of you, Jalon. Keep it going!
We're all cheering for you!” wrote @George_Pavlik.
“Your smile and energy are infectious. Great work. Glad you're on the team,” stated @Anbunaki.
“Congrats on all the hard work! Rock chalk!
Go Bucs!” commented @crane_chiefs25.
Daniels is expected to start again in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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