BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 10
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Quarterback • Rookie season
A rookie ready for his opportunity
Jalon Daniels
- Born
- October 29, 2002
- Hometown
- Lawndale, California
- Listed size
- 6 feet 1 inch • 219 pounds
- High school
- Lawndale High School
- College
- University of Kansas • 2020–2025
- NFL entry
- Undrafted • Signed May 8, 2026
- Buccaneers
- 2026–present • No. 10
- Current role
- Backup quarterback to Baker Mayfield
Sources: current Bucs roster, 2026 media guide, page 251, Kansas biography, transactions and depth chart. Lawndale is his listed hometown.
NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3. Sources: NFL game log, Kansas career record and the award announcement.
Six seasons at Kansas gave Jalon Daniels a long football education. Tampa Bay presented a new challenge: earn a place in an NFL quarterback room. He arrived undrafted, won the backup job and, by Week 4, became the first undrafted rookie to start at quarterback for the Buccaneers. Earning the position; his first start.
That is a promising opening chapter for the Krewe to follow. There are difficult Sundays in it, along with a memorable night in Dallas. Behind those results is a young quarterback learning how to carry his preparation, personality and confidence into the next huddle.
Lawndale → Lawrence → Tampa Bay
A place earned through preparation
California roots Lawndale to the Jayhawks.
Daniels played for coach Travis Clark at Lawndale High School and was a three-star recruit. He joined Kansas in 2020 and remained with the Jayhawks through 2025, building a college career that eventually spanned 49 appearances. Kansas’s account of his background.
May 2026 A relationship before the contract.
A visit to Tampa Bay before the draft helped shape his decision afterward. Daniels appreciated the coaching staff’s attention and the chance to learn in that environment. The Bucs signed him on May 8, and he began working with Chandler Whitmer, Zac Robinson and T.J. Yates. Why he chose Tampa Bay; the signing record.
Training camp Winning the backup job.
Daniels earned the No. 2 position ahead of Jake Browning. Todd Bowles highlighted his poise and daily improvement; Jason Licht emphasized the trust he had earned. Tampa Bay opened with Mayfield and Daniels as its two quarterbacks on the active roster. The club’s explanation of the decision.
Advice from the quarterback beside him
When Mayfield’s dislocated right thumb created an opening in Week 4, the veteran encouraged Daniels to stay composed and play as himself. Daniels’s first start ended in a 17–14 loss to Green Bay, and Bowles backed him for the short turnaround to Dallas. The message was steady: learn from the game and prepare for the next assignment. Mayfield’s advice; the first-start assessment.
October 8, 2026 • Week 5 • At Dallas
A first NFL win under the Thursday night lights
His second career start
24–16
BUCCANEERS OVER COWBOYS
First NFL victory as a starter.
Tampa Bay’s first win of 2026.
19 OF 25 • 189 YARDS
1 touchdown • 0 interceptions • 110.2 passer rating
Daniels completed 76 percent of his passes and connected with Tez Johnson for a 64-yard gain. Tampa Bay also supplied 241 team rushing yards, giving its rookie quarterback a productive ground game to work alongside. The official first-win feature.
Daniels credited the offensive line and the preparation of his fellow playmakers during a short week. It was a team victory with a personal milestone at its center. Watch his Dallas highlights.
NFL regular season • 2026 through Week 8
The rookie record so far
Daniels had appeared in five games, with starts in Weeks 4–6. His passing totals were 501 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, with a 63.4 NFL passer rating. He added 123 rushing yards on 22 attempts, without a rushing touchdown. Official season totals.
| Season | G | GS | Cmp/Att | Cmp % | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | NFL rating | Rush att | Rush yds | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 / NFL career | 5 | 3 | 60/98 | 61.2% | 501 | 3 | 5 | 63.4 | 22 | 123 | 0 |
G = games played; GS = games started. Passing and rushing are separate categories. NFL passer rating uses the NFL formula; it is not college passing efficiency or ESPN’s QBR.
2026 game-by-game record • through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | Tampa Bay result | Role | Cmp/Att | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Sacks / yds lost | NFL rating | Rush att | Rush yds | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep. 13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | DNP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Week 2 | Sep. 20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | DNP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Week 3 | Sep. 27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | Relief | 0/3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Week 4 | Oct. 4 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | Start | 19/27 | 148 | 1 | 2 | 3 / 14 | 65.0 | 8 | 55 | 0 |
| Week 5 | Oct. 8 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | Start | 19/25 | 189 | 1 | 0 | 1 / 11 | 110.2 | 7 | 23 | 0 |
| Week 6 | Oct. 18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | Start | 22/43 | 164 | 1 | 2 | 5 / 42 | 49.0 | 4 | 39 | 0 |
| Week 7 | Oct. 25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | Relief | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 / 0 | — | 2 | -3 | 0 |
| Week 8 | Nov. 1 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | DNP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Through Week 8 | 2026 | 8 team games | 3–5 team record | 5 G / 3 GS | 60/98 | 501 | 3 | 5 | 9 / 67 | 63.4 | 22 | 123 | 0 |
Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ means an away game and OT means overtime. DNP means he did not appear. A game with no pass attempts can still count as an appearance.
Sources: official game log and participation splits. Daniels did not play in Weeks 1, 2 or 8. In Week 7 at Carolina, he entered in relief and had two kneeldowns for minus three rushing yards, without attempting a pass. The Carolina game account. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
Current role and postseason: Mayfield returned to the starting lineup, with Daniels again the backup quarterback. Daniels had no NFL playoff appearances at this update; his rookie season’s postseason had not begun.
Kansas Jayhawks • 2020–2025
Six seasons, 45 starts and a place in Kansas history
Daniels completed his Kansas career with 49 games and 45 starts. His record included 9,282 passing yards and 67 passing touchdowns, plus 1,445 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. Those totals capture both parts of his game across six seasons. Kansas career biography; final-season statistics.
He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2022 and was selected the conference’s 2023 preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The preseason designation belongs to the expectations entering that season. Injury limited his 2023 game action to three appearances before he returned to start all 12 games in both 2024 and 2025. 2022 honors; the preseason selection; 2023 record; 2024 record.
Kansas season-by-season statistics • all six seasons
| Season | G | GS | Cmp/Att | Cmp % | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Rush att | Rush yds | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 | 6 | 76/152 | 50.0% | 718 | 1 | 4 | 73 | 20 | 3 |
| 2021 | 6 | 3 | 81/117 | 69.2% | 860 | 7 | 3 | 33 | 83 | 3 |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 | 152/230 | 66.1% | 2,014 | 18 | 4 | 77 | 425 | 7 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | 56/75 | 74.7% | 705 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 74 | 0 |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 171/300 | 57.0% | 2,454 | 14 | 12 | 93 | 439 | 6 |
| 2025 | 12 | 12 | 198/319 | 62.1% | 2,531 | 22 | 7 | 117 | 404 | 4 |
| Kansas career | 49 | 45 | 734/1,193 | 61.5% | 9,282 | 67 | 31 | 420 | 1,445 | 23 |
College totals include the bowl game he played. Passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns remain separate; interception totals refer to passes he threw.
Source note, November 3: Official versions differ. Kansas’s career summary lists 1,194 pass attempts, but its individual 2022 game entries total 230, supporting 1,193 for his career. This table uses those game entries, 425 rushing yards for 2022 from the original school notes, and 439 rushing yards for 2024 from the later Big 12 record.
December 28, 2022 • Liberty Bowl
A record-setting night that went three overtimes
Kansas lost 55–53 to Arkansas in triple overtime, but Daniels produced a remarkable bowl performance: 544 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and another touchdown on the ground. His 21 rushing yards brought his total offense to 565 yards. The passing and total-offense marks set Kansas and Liberty Bowl records that night. The school’s game report; official box score.
2022 Liberty Bowl passing and rushing
| Game | Date | Kansas result | Cmp/Att | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Rush att | Rush yds | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas | Dec. 28, 2022 | L 53–55 (3 OT) | 37/55 | 544 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 21 | 1 |
This performance is already included in the 2022 college season and career totals. Kansas also played in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but Daniels did not appear; Jason Bean started that game. 2023 bowl record.
A graduate, a captain and a national award winner
The work beyond the passing totals
Daniels earned a Kansas bachelor’s degree in sport management with a business minor. His college experience also included becoming the program’s first four-time team captain, a leadership distinction that adds context to the confidence Tampa Bay saw in camp. Kansas graduation recognition; National Football Foundation profile.
- 2025: Pop Warner College Football Award winner, recognizing athletic achievement, academics and community involvement.
- 2025: NFF National Scholar-Athlete and William V. Campbell Trophy finalist.
- 2022: CSC second-team Academic All-America.
- Academic recognition: Five Academic All-Big 12 selections and the 2024–2025 Big 12 Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor.
Sources: December 2025 Pop Warner winner announcement and NFF’s academic and leadership record. These are college honors.
Family support • Opportunity for young athletes
Sharing the moment and helping other families
A place beside him after the win
After the Dallas victory, Daniels invited his mother, Star Daniels, onto the postgame television set. In a firsthand FOX 13 interview, she described what it meant to share that moment with her son. For fans, it offers a welcome glimpse of the family pride surrounding an NFL first. The interview with his mother.
The Mom2JD6 Foundation
Daniels founded Mom2JD6 to support single mothers raising children who play sports, through financial assistance, mentorship, training and community resources. His mother explained that the foundation’s name came from her email address. The effort connects his own family’s experience with opportunities for other young athletes. The documented foundation mission; the story behind its name.
The next huddle
Keep an eye on No. 10
Daniels’s first season gives the Krewe a quarterback to watch develop: a college graduate and captain now learning the professional game, with a first victory already in his record. His next opportunity will bring another test of the preparation that earned him a place in Tampa Bay.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL figures stop after November 1, Week 8. College figures cover Kansas seasons 2020–2025, including his 2022 bowl appearance.
- Profile and NFL record: Bucs roster, media guide, game log, depth chart and transactions.
- Rookie development: choosing Tampa Bay, earning QB2, Mayfield’s advice and the first victory.
- Kansas and bowls: career biography, 2020, 2021, 2022 record, 2023, 2024, 2025 and Liberty Bowl box score.
- Education and community: Kansas graduation article, NFF scholar profile, Pop Warner award and FOX 13’s family interview.