Bucs Pride In Jalon Daniels
October 4th, 2026
The GM and head coach weigh in.
Game 1 for Bucs quarterback Jalon Daniels is in the books, his first career start as an undrafted free agent.
He’s got plenty of support from Todd Bowles and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.
“He had some ups, he had some downs,” Bowles said of Daniels after today’s 17-14 loss. “But for his first time out there, he didn’t panic. He didn’t do anything; he escaped. He used his legs well at times. You know, it’s his first game. He’s going to have some ups and downs.”
Daniels flashed excellent arm talent and speed running but struggled with decisions. Former Bucs tight end Dave Moore questioned playcalling on the team’s radio network, noting he would have liked to see Daniels given a moving pocket and more rollout opportunities.
Before the game, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht seemed to project a rough first start for Daniels but praised his preparation and development.
“I would say since the day he got here, he got better and better every day,” Licht said of Daniels on the Buccaneers Radio Network. “I mean the guy is just manical about preparation, and he has a great skill set and he earned it. What we don’t know is how this is going to look. You got [a] first overall pick playing his first game, a lot of these guys in the past — go back through the history of the league — they struggled. But what we do know is he has prepared like no other for this moment. It’s going to be exciting.”
Bowles confirmed after the game that Daniels will start Thursday at Dallas, and that Baker Mayfield is on track to miss the Week 6 game against the Steelers in Tampa.