Buccaneers’ rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels has been good—maybe even very good—but there are several reasons why I don’t believe he’ll be named Baker Mayfield’s backup quarterback when the Bucs open their season three weeks from today in Cincinnati.
Experience Matters
In 2020, Tom Brady essentially handpicked Blaine Gabbert as his backup. Brady wanted someone he could communicate with and who had a similar level of football experience. The relationship between a starting quarterback and his backup is extremely important, both during the week of practice and on gameday.
Daniels offers very little in that capacity right now. Baker’s job isn’t to teach Daniels how to become a good NFL quarterback. Coaches need to spend the majority of their time preparing the starter, not developing his backup.
Not Quite There
Right now, opposing teams aren’t game-planning to stop Daniels. His creativity is partly a necessity. But would he be able to handle the complexities of Zac Robinson’s offense against a regular-season defense? A backup quarterback is one hit away from becoming the starter, and Daniels simply needs more time to develop.
Todd Bowles needs to win now. Let’s be honest: if Baker goes down for an extended period, the Bucs probably aren’t winning many games. That’s true for most teams, but Bowles has an experienced option in Jake Browning, who has already started games in this league. If Baker gets hurt, Bowles is more likely to turn to Browning.
All That I’m Saying Is Give Jake A Chance
Browning played only one preseason game behind what was a very bad offensive line. We have no idea what he can do with the Bucs’ offensive line in front of him. The coaches have also seen him every day in practice, so I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from his performance against the Chiefs.
Browning struggled during his time with Cincinnati last year, but that offensive line was a major problem. If Baker goes down and the Bucs’ offensive line remains healthy, I’d rather have an experienced quarterback who can step in and start a few games.
It’s A Developmental Situation
Daniels, with another year of development, could eventually become something special. But with everything on the line for the Buccaneers in 2026, I’d go with Browning as QB2 and keep Daniels as QB3.
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