Bucs Make Decision on QB2 amid Baker Mayfield's Contract Negotiations, New NFL Rumors Reveal

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reportedly settled on their backup quarterback.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Jalon Daniels will back up Baker Mayfield—who has an uncertain long-term future with the team because of his own contract situation—to start the 2026 campaign.

Daniels joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent with a signing bonus of $25,000, but Rapoport noted he "impressed throughout camp" and "earned" the role.

Tampa Bay signed Jake Browning this offseason after he started 10 games for the Cincinnati Bengals the past three seasons when Joe Burrow was injured. Browning was presumably going to be Mayfield's backup just like he was for Burrow in Cincinnati but was unable to beat out Daniels for the job.

However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Browning was released Sunday with Daniels as the backup moving forward.

While Daniels dealt with injuries early in his collegiate career with Kansas even amid a breakout 2022 campaign, he appeared in 12 games in each of the last two seasons for the Jayhawks.

He posted 14 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions in 2024 but showed significant improvement in 2025 while completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,531 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 404 yards and four scores on the ground.

Daniels earned praise for his leadership and work ethic at Kansas and wasted little time proving himself at the NFL level with Tampa Bay by earning the backup role despite joining the team as an undrafted free agent.

The signal-caller saw time in each of the NFC South team's three preseason games and performed as follows:

Opponent	Passing	Yards	TDs/INTs
Jets	10-of-15	111	0/0
Chiefs	9-of-14	71	1/0
Jaguars	8-of-15	57	0/0

It wasn't just the passing, as he also ran for a touchdown during the win over the Jets.

As for Mayfield, the 2026 campaign is the final one on his contract. He said he plans on focusing on football during the season after he and the Buccaneers were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, but there remains plenty of uncertainty.

But there is no longer uncertainty over who is going to be his backup when Tampa Bay opens the season against the Bengals on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.