The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have finally found the backup quarterback they desperately need in the 2026 offseason, and they didn’t even have to use a draft pick to do so.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds singled out undrafted free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels ahead of the start of training camp next month, calling him a “dark horse” candidate to make the 53-man roster — or at least end up as the team’s emergency 3rd quarterback.
“Another dark horse to keep an eye on is undrafted free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels,” Reynolds wrote. “I don’t think veteran backup Jake Browning feels threatened for the QB2 job right now, but Tampa Bay absolutely loves the potential of the former Kansas QB, who has a live arm and 4.65 speed as a scrambler. If Daniels impresses in camp and makes a lot of plays in the preseason, he could force his way onto the roster as a developmental QB rather than just being on the practice squad in that role. But first he’ll have to take on Connor Bazelak and prove he’s worthy of sticking around Tampa Bay.”
Bucs Had Sights on Jalon Daniels Before Draft
The Buccaneers were in on Daniels long before he went undrafted, bringing him in for a pre-draft Top 30 visit on April 13.
“After visiting the Patriots on Friday, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels is in Tampa today for a Top 30 visit with the Bucs, per source,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Monday. “The 6’1, 219 lb Daniels also had private workouts with the Saints, Bills, Chargers, and Chiefs earlier this spring.”
Daniels might prove to be an attractive option as a backup for many reasons — he’s only 23 years old and made 45 starts in college.
“Daniels has an NFL-quality arm but inconsistent ball placement and decision-making. Though undersized, he has dual-threat talent, with explosive flashes and the quick processing to maximize what a defense is giving him,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “The greatest area of concern: He needs to take better care of the football (19 interceptions and 18 fumbles over his final 24 college games). Overall, Daniels has the ball-handling skills and intangibles that give him a chance, but his inconsistencies as a passer will be tough to overcome versus NFL speed.”
Tracking Rollercoaster College Football Career
Daniels had a long and winding road to the NFL draft — one that started before the NIL era even began.
The Lawndale, California, native was the rare 6-year starter. That included an 0-6 record as a freshman in 2020 as the Jayhawks went 0-9 in the pandemic-shortened season.
In 2022, Daniels led Kansas to a 5-0 start and their 1st appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2009. He was 1 of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy before he was injured in the 6th game of the season — he was still named All-Big 12 despite missing 4 games due to the injury.
Daniels returned for the bowl game that year and turned in 1 of the greatest bowl performances in program history by throwing for a bowl-record 544 yards in a 55-53 loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
Named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year in 2023, Daniels went 3-0 before a back injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. He played all 12 games for the Jayhawks in 2024 and 2025 but went 5-7 both years.
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