Jalon Daniels is officially stepping into the Bucs’ starting lineup with Baker Mayfield out, and trust me, this isn’t just some ordinary backup situation. Tampa Bay’s entire offense could be about to look wildly different, all thanks to what Daniels can do with his legs. This dude brings a whole new dimension that defenses haven’t consistently dealt with from a Bucs quarterback, and it’s gonna change how they play every snap.
Kansas Legend’s Legs Hit the NFL Gridiron
For six seasons at Kansas, Daniels was a legitimate dual-threat quarterback, period. He balled out in 49 games, racking up an insane 1,445 rushing yards and punching in 23 rushing touchdowns. Seriously, 23 scores? That tied the Kansas record for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. And get this, he also became just the second player in school history to ever pass 10,000 yards of total offense. We’re talking about a guy who ran for 425 yards and seven touchdowns in only nine games in 2022, then followed that up with 439 yards and six scores in 2024, before adding another 404 yards and four touchdowns in his final season. This isn’t some pocket statue, this is a legit playmaker on the ground.
How His Mobility Flips the Script
This is where it gets crazy for opposing defensive coordinators. With Daniels under center, Tampa Bay can actually incorporate designed quarterback runs, read option concepts, and run-pass options that force edge defenders to make a decision every single play. They can’t just immediately crash toward Bucky Irving or any other running back anymore. Now, those defenders absolutely have to respect the possibility that Daniels will just keep the ball and get outside.
And remember that “miserable afternoon” the offensive line had against Minnesota? Yeah, Daniels’ mobility can actually help those guys out. He’s not fixing all the protection problems himself, but his ability to move can make life way harder for a pass rush. A defender winning his matchup doesn’t automatically mean the play is over anymore. You can move the pocket, run bootlegs, give him designed QB runs, mix in read options, let him use his legs in the red zone, and he can turn broken plays into first downs. With Mayfield, defenses were mostly worried about Tampa Bay’s running backs on the ground. But with Daniels? The quarterback becomes part of the rushing attack too. That extra threat changes numbers in the box and could totally open up opportunities for Irving and the rest of the offense.
Look, there are gonna be growing pains. The guy’s still an undrafted rookie prepping for his first NFL start, and preseason success doesn’t guarantee regular season gold. But what he brings to Tampa Bay is something they haven’t had at quarterback in a long, long time. It’s gonna be wild to see what kind of offense they cook up with this new weapon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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