Bucs make their choice for Baker Mayfield’s backup, and it’s one that’s impossible to argue with
The Bucs are riding with a rookie this fall, and it was 100% the right choice.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made their decision at backup quarterback. Per multiple outlets, Tampa Bay is releasing veteran Jake Browning, leaving undrafted free agent rookie Jalen Daniels as the only other quarterback on the roster behind Baker Mayfield.
With Connor Bazelak waived on Saturday, Daniels has officially earned the QB2 spot heading into the 2026 regular season.
The decision caps a training camp battle that pitted the old adage of experience versus upside against each other. Browning brought starting experience from his time behind Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Daniels, the undrafted rookie out of Kansas, brought inspiring play in flashes throughout the preseason.
Daniels’ strong preseason clearly pushed the Bucs toward a decision
After Daniels’ strong performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the team’s second preseason game, the QB2 battle became murky between the two. Daniels led three scoring drives and gave the team a second half jolt in Tampa Bay’s 16-15 win. As such, the possibility of carrying three quarterbacks seemed like a distinct one.
However, after leaving Jacksonville for the final preseason game, one where Daniels stumbled a bit, the Bucs decided they had seen enough. Daniels earned a roster spot and Browning did not.
Roster math likely played a role
It’s hard to fault Tampa Bay for going with Daniels and only Daniels behind Mayfield. The Bucs have had tough calls at other positions, particularly in their edge rushing room, where undrafted free agent rookie Jack Pyburn has pushed hard for a potential sixth outside linebacker spot. Tough choices had to be made, and the team had to decide where carrying an extra player made the most sense.
Carrying three quarterbacks with Browning was clearly not the best use of Tampa Bay’s roster space when weighed against other positional needs.
What this means for the Bucs going forward
Hopefully, the Bucs won’t need to find out how Daniels performs in a regular season game this year, with Mayfield playing a full slate of games. That being said, Tampa Bay has made a clear statement. The Buccaneers want to continue developing Daniels and view him as worthy of consideration as a possible answer down the line at the quarterback position.
Bottom line: the Bucs went into the 2026 season without drafting a quarterback, but they may have found one anyway. It remains to be seen how Daniels develops from here, but earning the backup job as an undrafted rookie is a strong first step.
