Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels will make his first NFL start on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers. Daniels is replacing former Oklahoma star Baker Mayfield, who is expected to miss three weeks with a dislocated thumb. Daniels will become the school’s first quarterback to register an NFL start since the Reagan administration.
Daniels, a rookie coming off six seasons of college football at Kansas, surprised much of the national media in the preseason when the Pop Warner recipient defeated veteran Jake Browning and others for the No. 2 job behind Oklahoma alum Baker Mayfield.
After an 0-3 start to the regular season, Daniels is set to replace Mayfield, out for three weeks with a dislocated thumb, on Sunday as the Buccaneers host a 1-2 Packers squad coming off a 35-14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Daniels is just three passes deep, including one for an interception, in limited sightings since winning his roster spot in August.
Jalon Daniels Reacts to First NFL Start
This week, Daniels spun up NFL media and personalities with his interesting comments ahead of the Week 4 Packers matchup.
Jalon Daniels’ Career at Kansas
Daniels emerged as part of the Lance Leipold rebuild at Kansas beginning in 2021, when a young Daniels emerged late in the season as part of a 57-56 overtime win at Texas, the first of its kind in school history. The Lawndale, California, native missed sizeable chunks of 2022 and 2023 due to shoulder and back injuries, but ultimately finished his career in 2026, throwing for 9,282 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions as a Jayhawk. The Buccaneers signed Daniels on May 8, 2026.
Other QBs in the 2026 draft class include Fernando Mendoza (Raiders), Ty Simpson (Rams) and Carson Beck (Cardinals).
Why Daniels might’ve flown under the radar, though, is another question. Answering it comes with a mixture of reasons, but the critical combination includes injuries, lack of sustained success at Kansas and the fact that so few undrafted signees stick around past a couple of years. It’s not to say it can’t happen, though: Look at Kurt Warner, Warren Moon or Tony Romo – all undrafted signees that excelled at the professional level when surrounded with high-caliber talent on the line of scrimmage.
DANIELS, TAMPA BAY SEARCHING FOR FIRST WIN
Daniels steps into the picture just as Tampa Bay hit a flat tire with Mayfield injuring his thumb.
The Buccaneers, following a 23-16 loss to the Vikings last weekend, hit a franchise low on third down, converting only two attempts during the game. Moreover, the Zac Robinson offense has turned over the football seven different times already this year, including three fumbles in Week 1 vs. the Bengals and two interceptions last week between Mayfield and Daniels.
Tampa Bay isn’t at the bottom of most power rankings just yet, but another disaster on Sunday could knock the Bucs near the bottom of the board. They’re going up against a Green Bay franchise that’s struggling defensively – failing to blockade Atlanta’s run game last week – and giving up far too many penalties to reward Jordan Love for his pocket presence.
This first game boils down to whether Daniels can A) stay protected enough to create with the offense around him, and B) just how much he can do in his debut to get the Bucs back to shore with their first regular-season win. It’s a home environment, and there’s some buzz in the fanbase around the new quarterback and his ceiling at the professional level.
