Former Kansas QB Jalon Daniels Shines in Buccaneers’ Upset Win Over Cowboys

When former Kansas football quarterback Jalon Daniels took an NFL field for the first time, it was clear he had some rookie jitters. However, the KU product looked like a legitimate starter in the Buccaneers' Thursday Night Football matchup.

Daniels guided a winless Tampa Bay team to its first victory of the 2026 campaign, something Baker Mayfield couldn't accomplish in his first three starts. More impressively, he did it against a Dallas Cowboys squad that was favored by double digits going into kickoff.

While Dallas threatened late, an Alex Anzalone interception in the red zone sealed Daniels's first win in the pros. He's the first former Jayhawk signal caller to record a win as an NFL starting quarterback since Bobby Douglass in 1977.

Jalon Daniels played calm, efficient football to help Tampa Bay get its first win of the season.

19/25, 189 PASS YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 23 RUSH YDS vs Cowboys

Daniels protected the football and did exactly what Tampa Bay needed on Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/iOPNNZXV6n
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 9, 2026

A strong showing in the preseason allowed Daniels to win the team's backup quarterback job over Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak. It only took three weeks before Tampa Bay called upon him to take over for its injured quarterback.

The Lawndale, California, native wasn't overly spectacular, but unlike in his debut, he limited mistakes and didn't commit a turnover. He finished the evening with 189 passing yards and one touchdown on 19-of-25 passing, adding 23 more yards on the ground.

Daniels became just the third undrafted rookie signal-caller in the past 50 years to win a primetime game on the road. The accolades continue to stack for "JD6" with every passing week.

The highlight of the contest came on a 64-yard completion to Tez Johnson on a corner route. On that throw and several others, Daniels displayed the arm strength that made him a coveted free agent when he went undrafted this past April.

Tez Johnson is WIDE open for another Bucs big gain!@TBvsDAL on Prime Video
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yilGqjeFzj
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2026

Across a pair of starts, Daniels now has 337 yards through the air, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He looked a lot less disciplined a week ago against the Packers, but even then, he nearly mounted a fourth-quarter comeback before falling by just a field goal.

If there are any Jayhawk fans reading this who also happen to root for the Cowboys, I apologize in advance, but his first win coming over America's Team makes it an even better story. He left Dallas fans silent by the end of the night in a nationally televised game, and America's Team dropped to 2-3.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles initially laid out a three-week timeline for Mayfield to return from his dislocated thumb. There have been reports that he could return one week earlier and take over starting duties in Week 6, but seeing Daniels take the ball for one more start would be preferred among the KU faithful. It's incredible to see how much he's grown since stepping onto campus six years ago, and he's now making history as an NFL quarterback.

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