Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels set to start for Buccaneers after Mayfield injury
Undrafted quarterback Jalon Daniels will make his first NFL start for Tampa Bay against Green Bay after Baker Mayfield's thumb injury, becoming the league's first rookie starter of the 2026 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers after starter Baker Mayfield was sidelined with a dislocated thumb. Daniels, who played six seasons and appeared in 49 games at Kansas, earned the backup role over Jake Browning during the offseason and now becomes the first rookie quarterback to start a game in the 2026 season.
Daniels said Mayfield advised him to stay composed and play as himself, adding that his college experience taught him to be proactive. > "I think that one thing I learned in college was, you can’t be the thermometer, you have to be the thermostat," he said, explaining that he aims to set the team's temperature rather than merely react to it.
The Buccaneers, 0-3 entering the matchup, hope Daniels can help steady the offense and improve the team's performance.