Todd Bowles Just Gave A Huge Buccaneers QB Update

Despite publicly expressing his discontent regarding his current contract, Baker Mayfield is as committed and motivated as ever to outperform expectations as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starting quarterback this season.

That being said, the fact that Mayfield has cut off negotiations regarding a potential new contract means that he will become an unrestricted free agent following the conclusion of this upcoming season.

Jason Licht has indicated that the Buccaneers see Mayfield as their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future, but the reality is that not getting a new contract done before training camp ultimately opens the door for someone else potentially being under center for the Bucs in 2027.

Although Mayfield has shown that he has the toughness to play through injury, playing quarterback in the NFL is a dangerous job, especially for someone like Mayfield who is unafraid of sacrificing his own health to improve his team's chances on the field.

So what does all of this mean?

Well, for one, it means that whoever wins the Buccaneers' backup quarterback job will have a real opportunity in front of them. Not just for this season, should Mayfield miss time, but potentially as the next starting quarterback for the Buccaneers should the scenario present itself where Mayfield really does explore his opportunities outside of Tampa Bay after this season.

That's a risk the Bucs have taken by not caving to Mayfield's current contract demands.

Jalon Daniels Putting The Heat on Jake Browning

Although the assumption heading into this season was that veteran backup QB Jake Browning, who the team signed in free agency, would be the No. 2, some exciting potential flashed by UDFA QB Jalon Daniels so far this offseason has certainly added another level of intrigue to the discussion.

Daniels was prolific at Kansas. But more importantly, as it relates to his future as an NFL prospect, he has tremendous physical tools. Daniels' exceptional arm talent combined with the speed and instincts to be considered a true dual-threat quarterback makes him a tantalizing developmental prospect.

In Daniels' preseason debut vs. the New York Jets, not only did the young passer display his impressive physical traits, but he also played under control, with a strong pocket presence and full command of the offense.

Undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels WENT OFF in his preseason debut, including a game-winning rushing TD.

The former Kansas Jayhawk showcased his accuracy and athleticism in the Bucs first win:

🔶 10/15 completions
🔶 111 passing yards
🔶 1 rushing TD
🔶 88.5 passer rating… pic.twitter.com/CT6Y0J04Cp
— Preme Football (@premefootball) August 15, 2026

Browning, meanwhile, was unable to play at all during the team's first preseason game due to a back issue. Not only did Browning's lack of availability cost him valuable preseason reps, but it opened up the door for Daniels to really make an impression on his teammates and coaches — and that's exactly what he did.

Now, as the Buccaneers prepare for their second preseason game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, the way the team will allocate snaps, and ultimately evaluate the quarterback position behind Mayfield becomes all the more intriguing.

Bowles Provides Update on QB Competition

Browning was back in action at practice on Wednesday, and he expressed that he is feeling healthy and motivated to prove himself as the team's best backup quarterback option.

However, it appears as though his head coach Todd Bowles has seen enough from Daniels so far this offseason to consider a legitimate backup quarterback competition as the best option to determine who will be Mayfield's primary backup this season.

Following practice on Wednesday, when Bowles was asked about whether or not the backup quarterback position would be an open competition, he made his position very clear.

"It's open. It's been open," Bowles said.

Later, Browning was asked about Bowles' comments and he didn't shy away from the competition.

"I think any time you're in the NFL, if you think you're above any competition, you're in the wrong business," Browning said. "I welcome any competition and I feel pretty confident that I've been playing really well this camp."

Browning continued by directly addressing the performance of his competitors in Jalon Daniels and Connor Bazelak.

"JD played well, and you know, Baz is a really good player too," Browning said. "So we've got a good room. You know, I'm not shying away from any competition. Bring it."

#Bucs QB Jake Browning responds to HC Todd Bowles saying that the backup quarterback job is an open competition.

“Bring it.” pic.twitter.com/nrLj4YYtIy
— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) August 19, 2026

Regardless of which player emerges as the team's primary backup quarterback behind Mayfield to start the season, it's good to see that there is some quality depth emerging within the room. However, based on Daniels' immense upside, it's very possible that the former Jayhawk could develop into the future QB for the Buccaneers, even if he doesn't win the backup job over Browning as an undrafted rookie this year.

It seems like the Buccaneers have a good problem on their hands with two quality quarterbacks battling it out for the right to back up Mayfield on Sundays.

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