Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels has officially turned an impressive NFL preseason into a spot behind Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay.

Daniels has won the Buccaneers' No. 2 quarterback job, according to multiple reports Sunday morning, completing an impressive rise for the undrafted rookie after spending six seasons at Kansas.

ESPN's Ian Rapoport first reported the news, calling Daniels “a true find and a very cool story.”

Tampa Bay's decision became clear after the Buccaneers released Connor Bazelak on Saturday and reportedly moved on from veteran Jake Browning, leaving Daniels as Mayfield's backup entering the regular season.

Daniels made his first major impression during Tampa Bay's preseason opener against the New York Jets. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 111 yards and added a rushing touchdown after Browning's absence created additional opportunities.

He followed that performance by helping lead a comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 9 of 14 passes for 71 yards and throwing a touchdown to tight end Ko Kieft.

Daniels then received the start in Tampa Bay's preseason finale against Jacksonville. He finished 8-for-15 for 57 yards and lost a fumble in a 19-0 loss, but the opportunity represented another milestone in his NFL journey.

“Being able to go out and be the first quarterback out there, obviously that's a dream come true,” Daniels said afterward. “Being able to start an NFL game as a starting quarterback, that's something that you always dream of.”

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Tampa Bay wanted to use the finale to continue evaluating Daniels.

“We definitely wanted to see more of him,” Bowles said. “We wanted to give him a long, lengthy look.”

The overall body of work was ultimately enough for Daniels to secure the backup job.

Daniels spent six seasons at Kansas and started games in each of them, including throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He finished his Jayhawk career second in program history in passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts and completions.

After going undrafted earlier this year, Daniels will now enter his rookie NFL season one play away from taking over for Mayfield.

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