Bucs Pride In Jalon Daniels
October 4th, 2026
The GM and head coach weigh in.
Game 1 for Bucs quarterback Jalon Daniels is in the books, his first career start as an undrafted free agent.
He’s got plenty of support from Todd Bowles and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.
“He had some ups, he had some downs,” Bowles said of Daniels after today’s 17-14 loss. “But for his first time out there, he didn’t panic. He didn’t do anything; he escaped. He used his legs well at times. You know, it’s his first game. He’s going to have some ups and downs.”
Daniels flashed excellent arm talent and speed running but struggled with decisions. Former Bucs tight end Dave Moore questioned playcalling on the team’s radio network, noting he would have liked to see Daniels given a moving pocket and more rollout opportunities.
Before the game, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht seemed to project a rough first start for Daniels but praised his preparation and development.
“I would say since the day he got here, he got better and better every day,” Licht said of Daniels on the Buccaneers Radio Network. “I mean the guy is just manical about preparation, and he has a great skill set and he earned it. What we don’t know is how this is going to look. You got [a] first overall pick playing his first game, a lot of these guys in the past — go back through the history of the league — they struggled. But what we do know is he has prepared like no other for this moment. It’s going to be exciting.”
Bowles confirmed after the game that Daniels will start Thursday at Dallas, and that Baker Mayfield is on track to miss the Week 6 game against the Steelers in Tampa.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:24 pm
Love this guy, did all he could, definitely didn’t lose us the game
#TankForJeremiah
October 4th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
He did no worse than a 1st rounder QB playing in his first game. So give the kid some credit. I think he did well considering the coaching staff.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
He sucks, too. Two picks?
Meh.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
austin but he was also partially a reason he did lose the game. it’s not all on him but it’s still on him some, rookie or not.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
If he actually had some real plays drawn up for his strengths he might have done a little better. If he played against Bowles he would have thrown for 3tds and 350 yards
October 4th, 2026 at 4:28 pm
By Rod Muncher’s logic/analysis – he single handedly lost this game.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:28 pm
no qb will do well behind this o-line and play calling. i’ve been saying it all season. baker haters wanted to blame baker completely but jalon showed it’s not just on baker.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:29 pm
Three picks and 150 yards is pretty tough, but the Dallas defense is also pretty soft, so hopefully he’ll be much more comfortable in his second game
October 4th, 2026 at 4:29 pm
rod munch ain’t got nothing to say, he’s a baker hater and only talks or says something when baker plays
October 4th, 2026 at 4:30 pm
for having no coaching help and a trash o-line in front of him felt like he did solid
October 4th, 2026 at 4:31 pm
people need to realize, this was jalons best chance to have a good game, nfl defenses have tape on him now. green bay had no tape to go off of. jalon will not be the savior baker haters want him to be
October 4th, 2026 at 4:31 pm
The kid did ok in his 1st NFL start
It’s the overpaid veterans on the OLine
The same OLine that this clueless fanbase was boasting about
They are doing absolutely Nothing in the run game
Our WRs are young and invisible
October 4th, 2026 at 4:32 pm
I thought that Jalon played with poise and was way above realistic expectations for a UDFA rookie in his first start! He’s only going to get better.
I’m excited to see him again on Thursday in Dallas. I’m not excited about seeing our offensive line and defense on Thursday.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:32 pm
lakeland, i’ve been saying it all year. baker isn’t the largest problem on this team. o-line, play calling and receivers have not helped baker at all this year
October 4th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
This offense is killing the defense
I predicted it before the season
October 4th, 2026 at 4:34 pm
people please quit hyping jalon up, he will not be better thursday. cowboys defense has game film on him now. he will not do any better than he did today. unless the o-line gets better and play calling gets better, it’s gonna be even worse of a beat down with dallas
October 4th, 2026 at 4:35 pm
chad,
When Mike Evans left
A 1,000 receiving yards left with him
And the double teams he was seeing
October 4th, 2026 at 4:36 pm
i’m just glad i was right, it feels good to be this right about the buccaneers.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
lakeland, i agree. mike evans was a big part why emeka was successful is the first part of the season, teams don’t have to double team any receiver on the bucs now. ted hurst honestly needs to be on the field a lot more especially with jmac hurt
October 4th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
During the off-season this fanbase was expecting a horrible defense
They were boasting and bragging about the OLine and WRs
But those two groups are our biggest disappointments
They are the ones that’s holding this team back
October 4th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
@chad you’re trying to compare a number one pick with 9 years in the nfl against a guy in his first game. Baker has been bad since the Buffalo last year. It’s not all his fault but comparing the 2 doesn’t even make sense.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
The team has no juice , no explosive plays. Very unorganized, very unprepared. This rookie QB has to get better protection and have some time to survey the field. The offense left with Dave Canales and Liam Coen. Robinson doesn’t do anything to get anything special in his offense. There is no vertical passing. When Cade f-ing Otton is your leading receiver every week there is no creativity. He is really, really bottom-of-the- barrel OC. Bowles is just a slug.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:39 pm
I feel bad for Jalon, Zac gave him no chance.
Too bad we won’t be able to draft a QB with our top 5 pick because we paid a QB in September instead of waiting until October and seeing what our record was.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:41 pm
Jalon better value than Baker. Baker ain’t worth $55 milly.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
I agree with Moore. We needed Daniels to run on the last drive.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
I’m a Bears and Bucs fan. In Chicago we talked about how all the players we thought were bad magically got good when Ben Johnson came. With Zac it’s the opposite: All these players who were pretty good magically got bad when Zac got here.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
Dude throws two picks and people saying he didn’t cost us the game…. If JD doesn’t turn the ball over we win. Period.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
It’s crazy how Other Teams can start Rookie QB’s against the Bucs, especially in their first start and the Bucs make them look like Hall Of Famers and yet the Bucs start a Rookie QB and he looks just like he ought to look, Bad. SMH
October 4th, 2026 at 4:45 pm
He kept his team in the game until the end. The last series was ugly when he had close to zero protection. He needs more help from the o-line and the running game.
I’m surprised that Hurst didn’t have more targets given the chemistry he and JD developed in the preseason.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
The announcers were questioning some of the game management on the drive at the end of the first half. Not using the timeouts vs hurry up. That might have contributed to the second pick — blowing valuable seconds when you have 3 TOs left, adding to pressure on the rookie QB.
I am rooting for the Kid hopes he has a breakout game vs Dallas.
Uh-oh, we are the only winless team in the NFC, last in the Wildcard. By tonight, we will be 2 games out of first in the South. 🙁
October 4th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
I noticed when there was a jail break against him, he scrambled and then … threw the ball away! Imagine such a thing – throwing it away so you can live to see another day on 2nd and 10. SMH.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:47 pm
He did better than I thought he would considering the circumstances. Legendary, or 1st pick QBs have had a hell of a worse first start then what Daniels did, (not saying he’s gonna be a legend) and some of them on decent teams at the time. At one point, no one was sure he was gonna make the team. He’s an undrafted rookie QB, starting in an atrocious team, I’m shocked he didn’t do worse. I’m excited to see what he can do Thursday!
October 4th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
ZAC OFFENCE PLAY CALLS SUCKED , GO TO DANIELS STRENGTH ! GOOD MOBILE STRONG ARM, NEEDS MORE PLAYS DOWN FIELD IN HIS BAG , SMART GUY . HE WILL GET BETTER ,HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE !
October 4th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Good effort by Daniels, his coaches didn’t help him much. More bad coaching, it won’t change until change happens…
October 4th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Jalon Daniels is the best QB on our roster.
Yes, Jalon Daniels > Baker Mayfield.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Daniels showed some real promise.
If the refs don’t singlehandedly decide the outcome of the game, the Bucs are 1-0 under Daniels.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:54 pm
Nobody has tape on him yet. His playing style is still developing, nothing is solidified yet. Yet similar, you will see different things from him in Dallas.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:56 pm
There were no punt returns for touchdowns or rain delays..jalen was,given the best possible chance to win. But you get what you pay for with two picks. Cheapness owners could not be bothered to pay Garrapolo or Mariota.
October 4th, 2026 at 4:59 pm
Kid played well in his first game. The biggest difference I saw was that he was on target a lot more than the broken thumb guy. But he’s a rookie and it takes him longer to scan and know where to throw the ball, and the offensive line isn’t giving him that time. I’ve called for a change in the S&C staff for years as we are always getting hurt, and it’s clear this offensive line is filled with weak guys. They can’t hold up to the rush, nor are they getting much push on runs. They do a decent job on the zones, but they are clearly the biggest weak link on offense. But at least Daniels was able to hit most of his throws when he had time. He just needs to learn when he’s getting baited and to adjust to NFL caliber speed. All stuff Baker should already be at but still screws up.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:01 pm
What kind of idiot calls plays with a 7-step drop when the OL can’t block a gaggle of nuns?
October 4th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Imagine what Jalon Daniels would accomplish with a half way decent coaching staff.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:04 pm
Impressed with his composure. Not an ideal situation and he remained poised
October 4th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
SBucs13 Says:
Imagine what Jalon Daniels would accomplish with a half way decent coaching staff.
—————————————————————————————–
He’s got a good QB coach in Chandler Whitmer.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Fire Jason ASAP YO
October 4th, 2026 at 5:13 pm
JD10 gets a c+ in my book. The more opportunities he gets the better he will be. But he does need a good coaching staff and O-line to keep him upright and not running for his life
October 4th, 2026 at 5:14 pm
Agree he played well for his first NFL game. Would have been nice if he could get better OL protection, and better coaching play calls.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:14 pm
Baker still sucks
October 4th, 2026 at 5:15 pm
Honestly what are we paying baker for. The offense looked the same as when baker was in. Terrible
October 4th, 2026 at 5:16 pm
An earlier post:
Joe are you going to use the RoH reference when you report Licht’s dismissal at the end of the season? Do it! I think you should!
Joe’s response:
Absolutely! He built a Super Bowl winner. Unless you are going to go full revisionist history and try to claim Mark Dominik built a Super Bowl winner, Licht should get that honor!
Observation:
Joe did not assert that Licht shouldn’t be canned.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:17 pm
Daniel’s gave us the best he could give with this pop gun scheme and Swiss cheese OL. 68 was on roller skates again. 62 remains a huge liability. 67 and 65 are just guys at this point.
October 4th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
Joe, you do realize you could save valuable time by not writing or pasting Ring of Honor when it’s not needed.
October 4th, 2026 at 6:08 pm
He was not the hero, the offense didn’t magically click with him in, he looked just like a smart fan knew he would, he is NOT better than Baker…and we will get blown out by a angry o Cowboys team who almost lost to a winless team today, and won’t do it again next week! And if the Packers weren’t awful as well and didn’t turn the ball over twice inside the 30, we could have and should have lost by at least 9…probably 17…so put this inane controversy to bed Daniel bois
October 4th, 2026 at 6:35 pm
Kidflo. He looked just like Baker and that’s bad he’s a rookie and Baker is a nine year vet who still need a chip on his shoulder. The bucs ain’t winning nothing until they get a new coach and quarterback.
October 4th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
Daniels, like BM6, needs some form of pass protection to succeed. Until that is figured out, the Bucs will really struggle to get a W no matter who is the quarterback. This is clearly on coaching. The Glazers should do their team a favor and act now!!
October 4th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
The offensive (and I do mean offensive) line and the receivers let this team down again today, as well as the coaching once again. Since Coen left, I don’t know if there is one good coach on this team. Maybe Whitmer?
October 4th, 2026 at 6:47 pm
Jalon Daniels = 1 NFL game and had similar results as….
Baker Mayfield = “126” NFL game, yet still play like an overpaid rookie.
Zero patience for veterans playing like rookies. About 3 years of patience for rookies to grow.
Keep growing and learning Jalon.
October 4th, 2026 at 6:53 pm
Jalon does have some promise, unfortunately, no one would look good on this team as it is presently constituted, and I’m talking about the coaching more than the players. We have some players with some talent, but no coaching to bring it out. Bowles says they play hard, but I don’t see it. Playing hard means you hit as hard as you can every time, hustle til the whistle blows every play and lay out for every pass thrown. This team does not do that.
October 4th, 2026 at 6:59 pm
“Rod Munch Says:
October 4th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Daniels showed some real promise.
If the refs don’t singlehandedly decide the outcome of the game, the Bucs are 1-0 under Daniels.”
Nope. He singlehandedly lost this game.
Two picks = loss.
Don’t change the rules now.