The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 0-3, with $165 million Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way before a thumb injury cost him the last 2 games.
In his place, undrafted free agent rookie Jalon Daniels stepped in under center and made a huge leap forward in his second start, leading an upset road win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 that has breathed life into Tampa Bay’s season.
Now, with the Buccaneers at 1-4 and headed home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, it begs the question: What if Daniels wins again?
Could a quarterback controversy be on the horizon for the Buccaneers?
“Under this scenario you describe it seems unavoidable, right?” Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds wrote. “If Jalon Daniels wins back-to-back games with a victory on Sunday against Pittsburgh, the Bucs would be 2-4 and still very much alive in an NFC South division that is currently led by the 2-2 Panthers, who just had their bye week. After an 0-4 start, if Daniels came in and played well enough to engineer two wins in a row for a desperate team and a desperate head coach it would be tempting to leave him under center for the following week at Carolina, right?”
Daniels Made NFL History in Win Over Cowboys
The Buccaneers may have saved their season with a 24-16 win over the Cowboys in Week 5. In the process, Daniels also made NFL history.
“Since QB starts were first tracked in 1950, only one QB has done the following in each of his first 2 NFL starts: completed 70% of his passes thrown, a TD pass, and rushed for 20+ yards,” OptaStats wrote on its official X account. “That one QB is Jalon Daniels. He was undrafted.”
Daniels also did something against the Cowboys that no one had done in almost 40 years.
“Jalon Daniels is the first undrafted rookie starting QB to beat the Cowboys since 1987 (Washington’s Ed Rubbert),” ESPN Insights wrote on its official X account.
Daniels went 19-of-25 for 189 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions in the win over the Cowboys, plus 23 rushing yards. He was making his 2nd consecutive start after Baker Mayfield hurt his thumb in Week 3.
“Jalon Daniels picked up his first career QB win against the Cowboys on TNF, becoming the fifth undrafted rookie quarterback in the Common Draft Era to win a primetime game,” the NFL wrote on its official X account.
Jalon Daniels Shocked Bucs in Training Camp
Daniels won the backup quarterback role for the Buccaneers in a huge training camp upset.
“Sources: The Bucs are moving forward with UDFA QB Jalon Daniels as their backup QB to Baker Mayfield, as he’s impressed throughout camp,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on August 30. “A true find and a very cool story … The Bucs signed Jalon Daniels and gave him a signing bonus of $25K. Now, he’s their backup QB. And he’s earned it.”
Bucs Could Have QB Controversy Brewing With Another Victory