Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-01 · by Rob Maaddi The Associated Press
Jalon Daniels, an undrafted quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be the first NFL draft class member to start a game this season. Despite not being drafted like 10 other quarterbacks, including top pick Fernando Mendoza, Daniels earned his starting role due to Baker Mayfield's injury and outperforming veteran Jake Browning in training camp. The Buccaneers, currently winless after three games, are hoping Daniels can lead them to their first victory of the season against Green Bay.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will become the first player of his draft class to start a game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. The decision comes as starter Baker Mayfield is sidelined with a dislocated right thumb, leaving the team winless at 0-3 heading into the matchup. Daniels, who played six seasons at Kansas and didn't get drafted this year despite ten other quarterbacks being selected in the draft, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to start his NFL career.
The Buccaneers face significant pressure as they seek to avoid a 0-4 start with Mayfield likely out for the next three weeks. In a press conference ahead of the game, Daniels emphasized the importance of setting a positive tone and leading his teammates rather than merely responding to their energy. He said, “You can't be the thermometer; you have to be the thermostat,” indicating his intention to positively influence his team's performance on the field.
Written for “Buccaneers Rookie Starting” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jalon Daniels didn’t hear his name called during the NFL draft like 10 other quarterbacks.
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name → hear → quarterbacks
The undrafted rookie — not No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza or first-round pick Ty Simpson — will be the first of his class to start a game.
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rookie → start → game
The winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) are turning to Daniels against Green Bay because Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb last week.
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Mayfield → turn → thumb
“I’ve continued to say it’s a dream come true to even play for an NFL organization,” Daniels said Wednesday.
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Daniels → continue → organization
“To be able to go out there and have my first NFL career start, it means everything.”
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it → go → everything
It’s been a long road for Daniels, who played six seasons at Kansas.
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who → play → Kansas
“I mean, it was quite a journey.
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it → mean → ?
When January hit, I kind of just knew that I was going to have a long, long process,” Daniels said Wednesday.
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Daniels → hit → process
“Everybody that’s older than you (tells you) when you’re going through the combine process, the pro day process, the draft process, that you need to do everything that you can to be able to stay locked in because you don’t know where your feet are going to land in the next few months.
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feet → ’ → months
So, for me, having no idea where I’d be, I kind of was just like, ‘Whatever organization, whatever team gives me that opportunity, I’m going to go out there and be able to try to prove those guys right.’
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guys → have → opportunity
The Buccaneers signed Daniels to compete for the No. 3 job behind Mayfield and veteran Jake Browning, who had success filling in for Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
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who → sign → Cincinnati
But Daniels outplayed Browning in training camp and earned the backup job.
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Daniels → outplay → job
Now, he’s thrust into a tough position.
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he → thrust → position
The Buccaneers entered the season with high expectations.
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Buccaneers → enter → expectations
They’re desperate for a victory after opening 0-3 for the first time since 2014.
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They → ’re → 2014
Only the 1992 Chargers overcame an 0-4 start to make the playoffs so there’s plenty of urgency this week.
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Chargers → overcome → urgency
“I think that one thing I learned in college was, you can’t be the thermometer, you have to be the thermostat,” Daniels said.
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Daniels → think → college
“You have to be someone who comes in and is able to set the temperature of the room, not test the room and try to be able to blend in with it.
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who → have → it
If a team is low, I have to be able to pick it up to be able to make sure that they’re even.
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they → have → it
If we’re high, then I have to be able to be low to be able to make sure that we’re even.
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we → ’re → ?
I try to be as even-keel as possible.
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I → try → ?
I think that being able to go out there and have that even-keeled feel, the team around you feels that.”
Daniels’ mobility is an asset, especially playing behind an offensive line that has struggled this season.
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that → think → line
Mayfield was sacked six times last week and a league-high 13 times in the first three weeks.
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Mayfield → sack → weeks
“I mean, he can sit in the pocket, and he can do things that aren’t drawn up or he would never be here in the first place,” coach Todd Bowles said.
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Bowles → mean → place
His intelligence and his pocket play is what got him on the team.”
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what → get → team
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