The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't had an ideal start whatsoever. Sitting at 0-3, Todd Bowles' team has an uphill climb to get back into the mix in the NFC. As if that isn't hard enough in itself, Baker Mayfield is out for at least three weeks as he nurses a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
While he recovers, the Buccaneers will hand the controls to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who will become the first quarterback other than Mayfield to start a game for Tampa Bay since Tom Brady in 2022.
Daniels, 23, earned a spot on the team's active roster with an impressive preseason showing, but what should fans expect from the Kansas product when he steps on the field against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday?
Let's break it down and see what the former Jayhawks star might be able to do.
What does Jalon Daniels provide for the Buccaneers?
Daniels is an archetypal dual-threat quarterback, finishing his Kansas career second in program history in passing yards (9,282), passing touchdowns (67) and tops in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (23). Daniels started all 12 games for the Jayhawks last season, throwing for 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the ground, he ran for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
Daniels "was unable to live up to the promise shown earlier in his career," NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein said in a scouting report. "Daniels hasn't shown the ability to consistently dissect defenses and win with accuracy from the pocket. He has a decent arm but lacks consistent mechanics, timing and three-level ball placement.
"The vast majority of his interceptions were due to a lack of coverage recognition. Daniels' running ability helps, but he appears ill-prepared for an NFL passing game."
During the preseason, Daniels went 27-for-44 with a passing touchdown and no interceptions. He added 27 rushing yards and a score on the ground, as well.
Earlier this week, Bowles expressed confidence in Daniels to get things going while waiting for Mayfield to get back to full health.
"The same confidence that he made the team with," said Bowles of what gives him that belief. "Just going out there, performing, doing his job and being him going through his reads and making throws and playing football. His performance speaks for itself when he's out there. His confidence speaks for itself and they rally around him.
"It's going to be like every other rookie. But he played well in the preseason. He's very bright. He's not going to be out there by himself. We just expect him to do his job and play at a high level, as he expects of himself."
Daniels has learned to operate with a certain measure of poise, saying in a press conference this week that he has to be thermostat rather than a thermometer. We know, at least, that Daniels is a wordsmith. Bowles will hope that he can piece together some offensive production as he can metaphors.
The Buccaneers' season kind of depends on that, actually.
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