TAMPA BAY — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hand the starting quarterback duties to Jalon Daniels for Sunday’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Baker Mayfield, currently out with a dislocated thumb, will be replaced by the undrafted first-year player.

No undrafted first-year player has ever taken the first snap at quarterback for the franchise, making Daniels a historic selection. Over the organization’s 51-year existence, every previous starter at the position came through the draft, buccaneers.com reports. Tampa Bay arrives at this matchup holding a winless 0-3 mark.

The thumb injury will likely keep Mayfield out of the lineup for a minimum of three contests. He recently agreed to a new deal worth $165 million.

Daniels, 24, spent six seasons playing college football at the University of Kansas. A Kansas product has not started an NFL game at the position since 1987. After bypassing the spring draft, he secured a $25,000 signing bonus. During August camp, he surpassed veteran Jake Browning to claim the backup role.

His professional debut arrived late in the fourth quarter during a defeat against the Minnesota Vikings. In that brief stint, he launched three throws without completing any. A fourth-down desperation pass resulted in a pick. Before him, only Scott Milanovich tried passing as an undrafted rookie for the club, tossing three balls in 1996.

Head coach Todd Bowles stressed that the entire roster shares accountability for how the newcomer performs. "He is not playing by himself. Everybody has to do their job," Bowles said.

The coach added that the squad needs to rally around the young signal-caller instead of leaving him to fend for himself. "We've got to coach it the right way on both sides of the ball, including special teams. He's got to play and just do his job. We've got 21 other guys that [are] going to be out there playing with him, so he's not by himself. It's nervous, but it's exciting at the same time because you get to see somebody play. No matter where you come from, your first NFL game has to come at some point, whether you're a first-round pick or whether you're a free agent. You've got to touch the field for the first time at some point, and then you've got to play, Bowles said."

The quarterback called the assignment a deeply meaningful moment in his life. I don't even know if I can put it into words," Daniels said. "I mean, I've continued to say it's a dream come true to even play for an NFL organization. To be able to go out there and have my first NFL career start, it means everything.

Wideout Chris Godwin asked the locker room to ease the burden on the incoming signal-caller. Honestly, I think you have to put yourself in his shoes. Your first game for a young guy is nerve-wracking as it is, let alone being a quarterback, stepping into this situation. So you just get behind him, support him, let him know we have his back. We know what we can do. So try to give him the freedom to play as free as possible. You're going to make mistakes. We all do. So just alleviate that pressure off his shoulders that he doesn't have to go out and try to win the game himself," Godwin said."

Tampa Bay’s attack has had difficulty maintaining possession, successfully converting just 14 of 43 tries on third down across three contests. The group also went 0-for-3 on fourth-down tries over that same period. The offensive line surrendered 13 quarterback takedowns to lead the NFL, while also drawing 10 holding flags, which ranks second league-wide.

During the Minnesota matchup, Mayfield went down six times behind the line. Across three contests, the defensive side has generated just two takeaways. Meanwhile, the coverage teams surrendered an 86-yard punt return for a score recently. On the injury front, wideout Jalen McMillan will likely sit out 6-8 weeks after suffering a left knee PCL sprain.

Across 49 collegiate appearances, he accumulated 1,445 rushing yards and scored 23 times on the ground, posting a 7.2-yard average per attempt. Through nine starts in 2022 at Kansas, he passed for 2,014 yards alongside 18 scoring throws and four picks. According to NCAA statistics, Daniels completed passes during his final two seasons at the university from 2021 to 2023.

The conference honored him as its top preseason selection prior to the 2023 campaign. Lawndale, California, serves as his hometown.

Tampa Bay has dropped 10 contests out of its previous 12, a stretch that began last year. Under Bowles, the club has secured just three victories across its last 14 outings. Since 2000, the franchise has opened campaigns at 0-3 on four separate occasions, reaching the postseason only once in 2017.

Historically, just a single franchise has advanced to the playoffs after falling to 0-4. Over the past two years, first-year signal-callers who bypassed the draft hold a 1-5 mark when starting, combining for two scoring passes and 12 picks. Between 2020 and 2022, injuries sidelined Mayfield for 10 contests, including a 2021 campaign that featured 11 picks and a 65.3 passer efficiency mark. Tampa Bay’s front five surrendered 13 takedowns in 2023, the most since 2018 when opponents recorded 22.

Why It Matters

Tampa Bay will start an undrafted first-year passer for the first time in 51 years. The club holds a 0-3 record, and historically only one franchise has reached the playoffs after losing its first four games. With Mayfield sidelined for at least three weeks, the offense will rely on a quarterback who has not completed a pass in professional play.

His collegiate background features a run-and-pass skill set, highlighted by a 7.2-yard rushing average and a notable completion rate over his last two campaigns. Yet, the protection unit’s struggles, which have yielded a league-high number of takedowns across three contests, create a steep hurdle for a debutant. Sunday’s clash with Green Bay will reveal whether Tampa Bay can snap a slide that has produced 10 defeats in its previous dozen outings.

Timeline

Scott Milanovich previously stood as the sole undrafted first-year passer to throw for the club back in 1996, launching three balls that year. During the 2022 campaign at the University of Kansas, Jalon Daniels accumulated 2,014 passing yards, 18 scoring throws, and four picks across nine starts. The franchise secured Baker Mayfield’s services through a $165 million extension on July 28, 2023, establishing him as the most highly compensated signal-caller in team history.

What's New

Tampa Bay will start undrafted first-year player Jalon Daniels at quarterback for the first time in franchise history. Game logs show Baker Mayfield was sacked six times against Minnesota. The team has lost 10 of its previous 12 games, a stretch that began last season.

Performance metrics reveal that the Tampa Bay attack successfully converted just 14 of 43 tries on third down across three contests. Per NCAA records, Jalon Daniels completed passes during his final two campaigns at the University of Kansas (2021-2023).