Get ready, because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are throwing rookie Jalon Daniels into the fire this Sunday, making his first NFL start against the Green Bay Packers with the team sitting at a brutal 0-3. Daniels is stepping in for Baker Mayfield, who’s officially sidelined for at least three weeks after dislocating the thumb on his throwing hand late in Tampa Bay’s 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Talk about high stakes for a debut!
The Rookie Taking the Reins
This isn’t just any rookie debut, either. Daniels, an undrafted free agent out of Kansas, earned his way onto the Bucs’ roster by beating out competition during training camp and the preseason, securing the primary backup role. It gave Tampa Bay enough confidence to roll into the season with just two quarterbacks on their active roster. Now, that confidence is getting tested early. He got his first taste of NFL action against Minnesota after Mayfield went down, finishing 0-of-3 passing with an interception on a Hail Mary, plus a nine-yard run. Not exactly a full evaluation. But Sunday is different. He’ll have a whole game plan built around him, and he’ll be making franchise history as the first undrafted rookie quarterback for the Bucs to start a regular-season game.
Mayfield’s Crucial Advice for the Hot Seat
So, what does the guy he’s replacing tell him? Mayfield’s message to Daniels has been pretty straightforward, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com: “Just stay composed, play as yourself, don’t try to be anybody else besides yourself, and just go out there and go make football plays.” That’s classic Baker, right? Daniels told reporters that both Mayfield and veteran Easton Stick have been helping him prepare throughout the week. This is huge, especially against a Packers defense that’s probably licking its chops, ready to bring pressure and throw different pre-snap looks at the inexperienced rookie. The Bucs knew there’d be a learning curve with an undrafted rookie as backup, but they probably didn’t expect to see it this early in the season.
This 0-3 Buccaneers team desperately needs something to go right, and that’s a massive burden to put on a rookie quarterback making his first start. Daniels doesn’t have to suddenly become the answer to everything that’s gone wrong these past three weeks. He earned this shot by being himself in the offseason, and Mayfield’s message is all about trusting that player when the games count for a whole lot more against the Packers this Sunday.
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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