Bucs Are Playing With Fire
August 30th, 2026
Major gamble.
UPDATED: The Bucs today cut Jake Browning. This surprised Joe. Very much so.
Browning was solid in practice. Might have been the best backup quarterback Joe has seen from the Bucs since Blaine Gabbert.
(For the folks now howling about the previous paragraph, every backup QB sucks; otherwise, he wouldn’t be a backup. Think about it.)
What adds to Joe’s surprise is the Bucs, apparently, are going with a rookie undrafted free agent who doesn’t know the playbook yet and struggles with snaps from under center after being in a shotgun college offense.
Did Jalon Daniels Friday night look like he was capable of guiding the Bucs to the playoffs in a pinch? Yeah, his line sucked. This just in: It also sucked the two previous worthless preseason games.
Joe thinks Daniels will be fine given time. You know, so he can master the playbook and get snaps down.
Unless the Bucs have their eyes on someone else who will be unemployed tonight (Kyle Trask?), the Bucs are taking a massive risk here.
Joe previously wrote that fans need to light candles for Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke because if one of those guys gets hurt, watch out!
Now you can add Baker Mayfield to that list of players deserving prayers and protection from the Almighty.
Don’t be too surprised if Browning is back on the team via the practice squad.
August 30th, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Browning not much better than Bridgewater.. and a QB will be signed to the PS.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Josh Johnson, Nick Mullens and Shane Buechele have all been cut. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them is picked up. JJ McCarthy ( meh ) may be available soon as well.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Trask has now been cut by the entire NFC South?
August 30th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Yeah, if I was in charge, he’d be QB3/wildcat this season, QB2 next season if he shows he’s capable.
But maybe it’s a cost cutting move so they can pay Baker?
August 30th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
They better bring in a veteran quarterback that shows up on the waiver wire!
August 30th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
They only want to carry two qbs
August 30th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Who’s to say the Bucs will not steal another QB that is going to be cut in the next 24 hours.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:04 pm
There’s no fire. Browning is stench. Bazelak is stenchier.
They made the right move.
If Baker gets hurt, let Daniels play. It would be a lost season anyhow.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
no risk it no biscuit. i like this choice by the bucs.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Was in the Kroger checkout line just now, was about to grab my usual Reese’s cup. Then I saw the Kit Kat. In honor of Todd, I got a jumbo KitKat
August 30th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Every backup QB sucks? Wasn’t Baker a backup QB on the Rams and Panthers? But Joe would rather have the statue Browning as backup even though when he started for the Bengals he went 0-3.
0-3 with 5 ints and that’s who you want as a backup. The Joe’s continues their streak of horrible QB evaluations. By the way, he went 0-3 during the regular season, not practice with Chase and Higgins as WRs and got replaced by Flacco. Pray for Baker all you want but he started every game last season and how did that work out?
Daniels has upside and earned his spot. We need to give him a chance and see what he can do with the starters. You know, give him the same chance Baker got early in his career.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
The have to be absolutely kidding me Joe!!
Browning was horrible! Held the ball like a high-school QB while starring down receivers. He brought nothing in scrambling or extending plays.
Hot garbage.
Playing with fire???
Why, because if Baker gets hurt, was Jake Fing Browning really going to save the day?
Maybe the worse take any of the Joey’s has ever had.
Browning sucked and JL, Robinson and everyone else saw it clearly.
If Daniels has to come in for a game or a few plays, he can make things happen. He looked good with a trash oline and scrub WRs. I think with the Bucs starting oline, TEs and WRs and some more development he will be the best backup the Bucs have had.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
Browning looked uninspiring to me, Daniels brought energy and excitement and I believe in a desperate situation he would give us the best chance to win between the two.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
We are toast without Baker…..maybe toast with him……this was the right move…..Browning showed nothing….
August 30th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
What do you expect from a GM who wasted a 2nd on Trask, only to cut him for Bligewater? His first ever QB pick was Winston. He got lucky Brady wanted to come here, and lucky Baker has kept us at .500. Expecting better from Licht is wishful thinking. Half the QBs cut today by other teams are better than Browning, and Daniels.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
i would have kept browning as #2 and daniels as #3…….if the roster space allowed it…years ago we always carried 3 qbs…
my philosophy if browning came in to relieve baker, or if baker is out……a super quick hook if he’s ineffective, and pop daniels in there under center quickly (if he can actually learn to take a snap lol)…
but obviously the front office and coaches know better than me
August 30th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Shaun King took us 6 points away from the Super Bowl as a rookie. Install the shotgun.
Who cares, we suck anyway.
Corner back depth is atrocious.
O Line is way overrated with worst depth on earth.
Coach is horrible
August 30th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Hodad… that was a PAINFUL reminder!
Liam Coen should be entering his second year as head coach of the Buccaneers!
Bowels should have been sent packing at the end of last season
August 30th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
GM terrible
August 30th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
No bigger risk than keeping Bowels!
August 30th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
bee you have to realize jalen won’t get his chance with the starters, baker don’t miss games, if he does get hurt he will get a chance but baker even when seriously injured doesn’t leave the field. no your saying he deserves the same chance baker does? baker earned his starting spot. was better than tyrod at the browns during training camp and still wasn’t named starter. jalen wasn’t better than baker hell wasn’t even better than browning during training camp. had 2 decent games during the preseason and also a bad game during the preseason
August 30th, 2026 at 1:22 pm
Offensive line is fine– in that last game all five starters were out, including both backup tackles and backup guard. When you get to the number nine offensive lineman, you can’t expect very much
August 30th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
@bee
“with Chase and Higgins as WRs and got replaced by Flacco. Pray for Baker all you want but he started every game last season and how did that work out?”
Prett good til he got injured. Leading candidate for MVP until then. Don’t make the facts interfere with your BDS though (not that you ever would).
August 30th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
Not surprised as this is a Bowles choice
I liked watching Daniels however he needs time to develop
Backup No Way Not ready
But surprised NO WAY
Bowles makes poor choices EVERY YEAR
HE PUT BRIDGEWATER ON THE TEAM
August 30th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
At least the kid has potential to become a good one!
August 30th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
Baker has been here 3 years and is missed exactly one half of a game, they’re making a bet, I’m good with it
August 30th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
If he clears the waiver wire. I think they pick him back up. They were not gonna let Daniels go and hope to resign him.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
This frees up another game eligible roster spot by only carrying two QBs so the Bucs can hold onto somebody they actually really feel they want and need.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
I told you so!!!!! He will be the starter this year. Once Baker gets sidelined.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
looked like sh!t vs a 13-4 in 2025, jacksonville team….in fact, against their backups to the backups…
but don’t get me wrong…i do like him…
i just think we need an experienced backup to steady the ship if necessary, rather than a young kid hot doggin’ it and dropping jaws for a moment
August 30th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
The Bucs are only going to carry 2 QBs. They have to many other needs. Like OL, CB, and S.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
baker has a lot betting on baker this year…with the no contract situation…
if he was under a future contract, baker could be that wild scrambling bowling ball he has been in the past…
this year, not so much…baker needs to reel it in with his scrambling for his own sake…contract wise…
so the bucs had leverage to gamble with the idea that bake is gonna try to stay healthy, as opposed to being a wild man out there…
so daniels as #2 seemed like an ok bet as well…
makes sense to me in a lot of ways…
imho
August 30th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Let’s keep gambling. Fudge it. Glad he made the roster. He will learn he will study. Go shotgun
August 30th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
I think they’d rather keep Pyburn on the active roster than Browning. It’s not like anyone is likely to pick him up anyway.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Need to start asking for paper bags at Publix.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Chad
I know Baker won’t come off the field this season. Ive been saying that for years. My point is that Daniels can’t get better playing against the scout team, he has to play in real games. The only way he starts this season is if Baker has a season ending injury or loses 4 straight games with horrible play. And even then Bowles will still probably start Baker. I just want the kid to get a chance so we can see what he can do.
MikeBuc
Baker went 15/24 152 yds 0 tds 0ints versus the Saints before the bye. He was healthy as an ox that game and it took Nelly on defense to save the game. Those are facts. I don’t have BDS, I have winning expectations. And when players start and play, they’re expected to play well and win. Well that is if you’re a fan of the team and not one player.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
No risk it, no biscuit!
August 30th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
is jake browning any better than bailey zappe….?
just a thought
August 30th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
pyburn has been cut ^^^
August 30th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
I look at it this way…say we kept 3 QBs. And Baker gets hurt week 3. We need a starter for week 4. Who would start if we had Browning and Daniels? Daniels, of course. That means we don’t need Browning on the roster when we need the space for other deep positions where we have players we need to keep like maybe Pyburn.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
Season is lost if Baker goes down anyway so might as well see what you have in Daniels. Though if Wirfs is not 100%, I would definitely dress 3 QBs on gameday.
August 30th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
I have not cooled down from last year under Bowels clogged up bowl
August 30th, 2026 at 1:46 pm
Daniel’s has alot more upside where we have already seen Browning at his best. Plus if Baker gets hurt it’s most likely due to an OL injury so he at least has escapability.