Buccaneers May Have A Surprise At Quarterback Against Jaguars

The strong performance of Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agent rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels has continued to gain steam as the offseason has moved along.

Having now put together two very solid preseason performances running the offense, Daniels has certainly applied the pressure — not just to the front office regarding his chances of making the final 53-man roster, but to his main competitor in the Bucs' QB room, Jake Browning.

Quarterback Competition in Full Effect

Aug 14, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week's preseason game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs was the only time that we got to see both Browning and Daniels play in the same game, and the disparity in production between the two signal callers while they were in the game was significant.

On the surface, the two players' stats weren't all that dissimilar, with Browning going 8/11 for 84 yards in the first half, while Daniels was 9/14 for 71 yards and a TD in the second. The biggest difference, though, was that the Bucs scored zero points in the first half and 16 in the second, with Daniels leading the offense to multiple scoring drives.

Following that game, Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged that a true QB competition was underway, and the team had not yet decided who Baker Mayfield's primary backup would be this season.

As a result, it's safe to assume that the Bucs' final preseason game vs. the Jaguars on Friday will play a big role in the team's final evaluation of the two QB's.

Bowles Yet to Name Starter for Final Preseason Game

Aug 22, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Interestingly enough, as of Wednesday, Bowles said the team had not yet decided which quarterback would be starting in the Bucs' final game of the preseason.

Todd Bowles says that he has not decided who will start the team’s preseason game on Friday and that the team will sit down and talk about it today and tomorrow
— River Wells (@riverhwells) August 26, 2026

Whether or not the player who starts this final game at QB for the Bucs has any bearing on his odds to win the job is unclear, but there's no denying that Daniels has made a big impression on his teammates, coaches, and fans in Tampa Bay so far this offseason.

To add even more intrigue to this situation is the fact that Daniels was operating as the Buccaneers' second-string quarterback during their joint practice with the Jaguars on Wednesday. With that being the case, the Bucs could be preparing to start Daniels on Friday, which would be a bit of a surprise from where we were when the offseason began.

So far in 7-on-7 it’s been all Baker Mayfield and Jalon Daniels taking reps today - Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak relegated to just throws in indy.

This team looks to be positioning Daniels to be QB2. We’ll see what happens.
— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) August 26, 2026

Even though Daniels has looked like the superior player from the perspective of fans and onlookers so far this offseason, the Buccaneers signed Jake Browning in large part because of his knowledge and experience when it comes to running a pro-style offense.

Daniels, despite his exciting physical tools and big play ability, does lack that experience.

So as much as fans and media like to try and connect the dots when making predictions about the final rosters, only those inside the building know which way the team is leaning as it relates to deciding if Daniels or Browning are best suited to run Zac Robinson's offense behind Mayfield.

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