The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Jalon Daniels their primary backup quarterback because they believed he earned the job. Three weeks into the season, that decision is being put to the test much earlier than anyone expected.
Daniels will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers after Baker Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand in Tampa Bay's Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield is expected to miss at least three weeks, putting the Bucs' offense in Daniels' hands for the time being.
Despite the difficult circumstances, head coach Todd Bowles isn't second-guessing Tampa Bay's decision to trust Daniels with the No. 2 job.
"No, we didn't think that at all. He earned it, and he beat [the others] out fair and square,"
Bowles said when asked whether the Bucs considered the risk of carrying an undrafted rookie as their backup quarterback.
Daniels signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in May and entered training camp competing for a roster spot. His performance throughout camp and the preseason ultimately earned him the backup job behind Mayfield.
Now the Bucs will find out how that decision translates to the regular season with Daniels running the offense.
The rookie got his first NFL action after Mayfield was injured late in the game against Minnesota. Daniels went 0-of-3 passing, with his final attempt a Hail Mary intercepted near the goal line, and added a nine-yard run.
Bowles has continued to express confidence in Daniels since announcing that he would start against Green Bay.
"The same confidence that he made the team with," Bowles said earlier in the week. "Just going out there, performing, doing his job and being him, going through his reads and making throws and playing football. His performance speaks for itself when he's out there. His confidence speaks for itself, and they rally around him."
Daniels will also make franchise history Sunday. He is set to become the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start a game in the Buccaneers' 51-season history.
There is a significant difference between earning the backup job during the preseason and being asked to lead an 0-3 team in search of its first win. Daniels is about to find that out against a Packers defense that will have an entire week to prepare for a quarterback making his first NFL start.
But Tampa Bay isn't treating Daniels' promotion as the result of a mistake it made at the backup quarterback position. Bowles' message is clear: Daniels earned the job in the first place, and the Bucs still believe he deserves the opportunity he's getting now.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Todd Bowles makes feelings clear about Bucs trusting Jalon Daniels
