Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels started Friday night’s preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, playing nearly three quarters in a bid to secure the No. 2 job behind Baker Mayfield. The undrafted rookie struggled to generate offense in a 19-0 shutout loss at Jacksonville.
Jalon Daniels took the field for a surprise start in Tampa Bay’s preseason finale on Friday night, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs were giving the undrafted rookie from Kansas a chance to win the backup job to Baker Mayfield. Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak followed Daniels in the game. Daniels rallied the Bucs to come-from-behind wins against the Jets and Chiefs the past two weeks, and in two weeks, he was 19-of-20 for 182 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, along with a rushing score. Daniels took the majority of reps during the Bucs’ seven-on-seven period after Mayfield, per Stroud.
Preseason Finale Struggles Against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Preseason Finale Struggles Against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jalon Daniels’ chances of earning Tampa Bay’s backup quarterback job seemed to diminish in the team’s preseason finale, a 19-0 loss at Jacksonville on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla., in which neither side played starters. After leading the Buccaneers to come-from-behind victories against the New York Jets and Kansas City, Daniels got a surprise start against the Jaguars. But he failed to generate much offense, with Tampa Bay punting on six of its first seven possessions. Daniels botched a snap to end the other and was sacked three times.
Daniels completed 8 of 15 passes for 57 yards in nearly three quarters. He also ran four times for 9 yards. He didn’t get much help from his receivers. Rookie Dean Patterson IV and third-year pro Kameron Johnson dropped third down passes to end the first two drives and then Garrett Greene let one slip through his fingertips in the second quarter.
Quarterback Competition and Roster Implications
Quarterback Competition and Roster Implications
Getting the start was a chance for Daniels to show he was ready to supplant Jake Browning behind Baker Mayfield. Daniels is an undrafted rookie from Kansas who had been listed behind Browning and Connor Bazelak on Tampa Bay’s depth chart. Jacksonville got better results from its second-team quarterback, Nick Mullens. Trevor Lawrence’s backup completed 5 of 7 passes for 62 yards in the first quarter.
They set a tone early on, had some good drives and just (didn’t) finish with some scores,
Jaguars coach Liam Coen said.
Carter Bradley, the son of former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley, took over from there and misfired on two deep passes that could have been touchdowns. Bradley connected with DeeJay Dallas for a score late in the third and then scrambled for a 2-point conversion. Cam Little kicked a 61-yard field goal, and rookie Michael Wortham returned a punt 63 yards for a TD late.
Jacksonville is looking for additional pass rushers behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Rookies Wesley Williams and Bryan Thomas Jr. showed they’re ready to contribute. Williams, a fourth-round draft pick from Duke, nearly sacked Daniels on one play and recovered his fumble on another. Thomas, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, finished with 2 1/2 sacks. They join second-year pro B.J. Greene II and veteran Dennis Gardeck in giving the Jags quality depth behind two big-time starters.
Jacksonville coach Liam Coen called his first plays of the preseason and then turned the job over to his offensive assistants. Coen let offensive coordinator Grant Udinski call plays in the team’s first two preseason games but reclaimed the role for the finale to get in a few reps before the regular season. Coen called plays in the first half against Tampa Bay and then relinquished the role to quarterbacks coach Spencer Whipple for the third quarter and pass game specialist John Van Dam for the fourth. Coen did the same on the defensive side of the ball, with Mathieu Araujo, Tem Lukabu and Matt Edwards getting chances.
Kansas Coach Lance Leipold Reflects on Daniels’ Pro Transition
Kansas Coach Lance Leipold Reflects on Daniels’ Pro Transition
Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels continues to make an impression at the next level, and his former head coach has been following along. Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said during media day that he had communicated with Daniels before and after one of his preseason appearances with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Extremely happy for him and proud of him,
Leipold said. As I told him before he went into that game, I told him how proud I was of him and who he is.
Leipold said he was able to watch portions of Daniels’ performance while traveling with several members of the Kansas program. He later caught up on highlights from the game as Daniels continued his push to make Tampa Bay’s roster. For Leipold, Daniels’ performance was about more than what he did on the field.
I think a lot of people in the Tampa area, let alone in the NFL, got a chance to witness what Jalon's all about,
Leipold said.
He was especially happy to see Daniels enjoying the opportunity afterward.
More importantly, after the game, seeing him smile and that excitement and the genuine enthusiasm of his personality, which is extremely contagious to a program and organization, Leipold said
Daniels spent his entire college career at Kansas and became one of the most recognizable players of Leipold’s tenure in Lawrence. His NFL opportunity comes as Kansas prepares to move forward with a new quarterback for the first time in several seasons. While Leipold’s attention is focused primarily on preparing the current Jayhawks for the season, Daniels’ early success has given the Kansas program another former player to follow closely at the professional level. And for Leipold, seeing Daniels receive that opportunity has been a source of pride as much for the person Daniels became as for his performance on the field.
Injuries and Opening Week Schedules
Injuries and Opening Week Schedules
Buccaneers linebacker Mohamed Kamara was helped to the locker room in the third quarter with an apparent left knee injury. Jaguars tight end Hunter Long was shaken up in the first quarter after Bucs safety Miles Killebrew delivered a big hit at the end of a 13-yard gain. Long caught two passes for 47 yards in the frame, putting together solid tape in case he doesn’t make the team.
Tampa Bay opens the season at Cincinnati on Sept. 13. Jacksonville hosts Cleveland on Sept. 13.
