Jalon Daniels Was A Winning Choice
October 8th, 2026
Who would have every guessed that undrafted Jalon Daniels would be the first rookie quarterback to win a start this NFL season? Daniels did just that tonight.
A Buccaneers backup quarterback hadn’t won a start since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2018.
Daniels was the controversial choice to be named the Bucs’ No. 2 quarterback to start this season. An undrafted QB to back up oft-banged-up Baker Mayfield? For a team that thought it was a contender? Strange.
But tonight’s performance by Daniels shows the Bucs made a good choice. Daniels didn’t turn the ball over and was 19-for-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown. He also ran seven times for 23 yards.
For any backup to win a Thursday night road game is a major bonus.
Hope remains in play in Tampa Bay.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
FIRE HIM NOW!!!! ^^^
October 8th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
Bucs never ever win in prime time, good seeing Jalon and Vita Vea at the dais, they got to sign the helmet–cool! I have never seen Bucs win on TNF in 11 years.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
Geeze Louise, and now the rest of the story
October 8th, 2026 at 11:37 pm
Tonight is only the beginning for Jalon Daniels
October 8th, 2026 at 11:37 pm
Great pick, Mr. Licht.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:38 pm
He did good but almost blew it on that last pass. Could have been a pick 6. Thankfully Dallas couldn’t hold onto the ball.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:38 pm
I would’ve guessed it, Joe.
I’ve been on the Jalon Daniels bandwagon since he signed with us andv even more so since the preseason etc.
He’s the best QB on our roster.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:38 pm
Daniels was the controversial choice to be named the Bucs’ No. 2 quarterback to start this season. An undrafted QB to back up oft-banged-up Baker Mayfield? For a team that thought it was a contender? Strange.
———–
I watched him in the preseason, and he looked great.
The lazy box score watchers didn’t think so, but if you paid attention to the games, and watched how confident and howe well Daniels read the field, threw the ball, you knew he’d have a good change to perform if he got the chance.
Now that we’ve seen a great performance from the kid, watch as that piece of garbage Baker rushes to get back to secure his spot – and then goes on singlehandedly losing games and we’re told Baker is so tough, he’s playing injured, and just wait until he gets healthy…
If Baker didn’t have that awful deal, the amount of hope right now, getting to see if we got a legit QB of the future would be off the hook – instead it’s going to be right back to Baker because he’s too expensive to bench.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:38 pm
I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but for tonight it feels great.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Baker will be back in 10 days against Pitt.
55 million reasons why.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:40 pm
much better than trask, daniels didnt have to do much cowboys fielded a pee wee defense tonight. he underthrew tez backpedaling waiting for the ball from a clean pocket , and the first td drive cowboys penalties kept the drive alive . he did what a really good backup does . great composure
October 8th, 2026 at 11:40 pm
He looked good out there. He reminded me of Baker with his playing style a bit. It was good to see him calm down one the run game got going. They set up the run with the pass. That was awesome to see.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:41 pm
The Defense won this game. Rookie QB threw a dropped pick-6 that almost cost the game.
Offensive line can’t stop holding.
Give Todd Bowles his credit.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:42 pm
BAKER ROBBED THE GLAZERS
…..so did VITA!!!!
October 8th, 2026 at 11:42 pm
He started trying to play hero ball in The beginning but quickly turned it around.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:42 pm
Bowles blew it before our last drive by not kicking that field goal.
Jalon shouldn’t even have been in that position to almost throw that pick 6 become the game could’ve already been over if we went up 3 scores.
That’s all on Bowles and his terrible decision to go for it.
Tbh, we prob deserved to lose because of such a dumb arrogant decision by Bowles. But we got lucky and still won.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:45 pm
Daniels has improved greatly since that week 3 preseason game. Playing like that, Baker doesn’t need to rush back. Now I’m not saying Daniels should replace Baker but the offense looked the best it’s looked all season.
I’m hoping the Cowboys didn’t sleep on the Bucs and the Bucs actually turned the corner… to be continued next week against Mellow Mushroom Rodgers
October 8th, 2026 at 11:46 pm
Just a friendly reminder the Joes wanted Jake Browning instead because hes a vet. 🤣🤣🤣
Friendly reminder that Joe absolutely said Daniels needed to be kept on the roster, but Joe also was all in favor of keeping Browning to not be forced to rely on Daniels. No need to make things up. –Joe
October 8th, 2026 at 11:48 pm
Daniel’s is a good QB. Can’t believe he wasn’t drafted
October 8th, 2026 at 11:48 pm
Buc1987 Says:
October 8th, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Baker will be back in 10 days against Pitt.
55 million reasons why.
Nooooooo!!!!
October 8th, 2026 at 11:50 pm
Erik–agreed, it was a very stupid call, FG was the choice as it allowed Bucs to go up 3 scores
October 8th, 2026 at 11:50 pm
Todd undercut his rookie QB by not kicking that FG and then Swiss cheesing a 99.5 yard TD drive. Daniel’s should’ve never been in the position to throw that near-pick-6. That’s on the HC.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:51 pm
“Bee Says:
October 8th, 2026 at 11:46 pm
Just a friendly reminder the Joes wanted Jake Browning instead because hes a vet. 🤣🤣🤣“
Friendly reminder that Joe absolutely said Daniels needed to be kept on the roster, but Joe also was all in favor of keeping Browning to not be forced to rely on Daniels. No need to make things up. –Joe
OOF
October 8th, 2026 at 11:52 pm
ARE YOU PEOPLE INSAN ? DANIELS DID GEEAT RUNNING AND SOME NICE PASSES . HECHAS T G E TOOLS AND WILL ONLY GET BETTER . HE IS COOL UNDER PRESURE . DOSENT FREAK OUT .HE IS GOINGVTO BE GOOD.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:52 pm
So proud of the team.
They rushed the qb every play.
They ran the ball right down the Cowboys throat!
Beautiful
Secondary was outstanding again.
Our Oline plowed the Dallas DLine under.
I’m a big supporter of Baker Mayfield.
I know that he isn’t this teams problem.
But If Jaylon Daniels plays great again next week,
The Bucs should start seeing how much a QB starved team would give for A pro bowl QB.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:56 pm
Daniels still isn’t up to snuff. Was lucky not to throw a pick 6. But better.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:59 pm
daniels looks legit good as the back up…maybe even more over time…
but his mom sitting next to him on that prime panel was a little bugged out lol
October 9th, 2026 at 12:00 am
Suck it, Dallas! @BucsAnthem can get in his/her knees too.
October 9th, 2026 at 12:01 am
that last throw daniels threw was iffy af…
we got 2 sort of lucky floating in the air ints…
and that lst daniels pass could have been a pick 6…
God was on our side tonight…
we deserved a bit of the divine tonight tho…!
October 9th, 2026 at 12:01 am
Munch says this:Now that we’ve seen a great performance from the kid, watch as that piece of garbage Baker rushes to get back to secure his spot – and then goes on singlehandedly losing games and we’re told Baker is so tough, he’s playing injured, and just wait until he gets healthy…
I agree completely, win or lose keep Jalon in, he has potential and needs more games under center. Baker is a disaster waiting to happen. Worst 3 games I have ever seen was with Baker this season.
October 9th, 2026 at 12:01 am
last daniels pass*
October 9th, 2026 at 12:02 am
@firethecannons bucs won 10/14/21 on TNF with brady, maybe you arent a big fan though?
October 9th, 2026 at 12:03 am
Jason Daniel’s, as good As he was isn’t the only story.
Bucky ! Bucky! Bucky!
October 9th, 2026 at 12:04 am
rod…
baker can always be traded…jets, miami…etc
always teams needing a good qb…always
and yes teams around the league do consider him good – even if you don’t
October 9th, 2026 at 12:05 am
rod…
don’t worry be happy 🙁
October 9th, 2026 at 12:19 am
What a great game for the kid. Hope mom laughs when she sees her nacho eating self.
October 9th, 2026 at 1:14 am
Ummmm… WHY is Lickt’s Pic on the headline of THIS article!? When, HE literally SAID to Ronde & Chris Myers ‘on-air’ that “Jalon was Z-Rob’s guy, and that HE has absolutely NOTHING to do with UDFA’s.”
Licht runs the front office and he and his entire team rank potential draft picks and UDFAs several weeks ahead of the draft. In nearly all cases, coaches don’t even look at player film until it’s handed to them by the front office as part of a list of players they’re interested in. If you listen to Licht, he is always quick to say he does nothing and then credits his staff. Heck, before Mike Greenberg was made assistant GM, Licht said Greenberg was “the real GM” on a national show. Don’t take everything so literally. –Joe
October 9th, 2026 at 1:27 am
And, people would be REAL SMART to just CHILL on the kid, and slow their roll. Cause, I actually WATCHED ‘the kid’ for years, when in COLLEGE. I like him, but it’s only a matter of time. It was a perfect game-plan for HIM tonight, against a REAL BAD Defense and a POORLY “coached” football team. Just wait and see… Tick-Tick.
October 9th, 2026 at 1:31 am
I bet he leaves and gets paid as qb1 on another team next season.
October 9th, 2026 at 2:28 am
Dallas played a typical Dallas game. Let Daniels play a top tier team and see how he produces. If it goes well, I will take back everything I said. But I doubt it. He threw 1 TD against the Cowgirls. That’s not going to be enough going forward.