A dual-threat quarterback who threw for over 9,000 yards across six injury-interrupted seasons at Kansas, Jalon Daniels signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent to develop behind the Buccaneers' starter.
Jalon Daniels spent six seasons as Kansas's quarterback, flashing first-round talent when healthy but battling shoulder and back injuries that repeatedly cut his seasons short. He went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Buccaneers, where his athleticism has made him a name to watch in a crowded quarterback room.
Path to the league
Out of Lawndale, California, Daniels was lightly recruited and chose Kansas as one of only two Power Five programs to offer him. He started as a true freshman in 2020, then took over full-time in 2021 after an injury to Jason Bean, leading Kansas to a landmark win over Texas that snapped multiple long losing streaks.
Career highlights
Daniels' best full season came in 2022, when he passed for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns in nine games and set a program record with 544 yards in the Liberty Bowl, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year entering 2023 but appeared in just three games that year because of a back injury, finishing his career with 9,282 passing yards, 67 touchdowns and 1,445 rushing yards over 49 games.
2025 season recap
In his final Kansas season, Daniels stayed healthy for 12 games and set career highs with 2,531 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He went undrafted that spring but signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026, entering camp as a developmental option behind the Buccaneers' starting quarterback.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jalon Daniels
- Buccaneers.com: Rookie QB Jalon Daniels Having a Blast with Bucs
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | buccaneers | 5 | 60 | 98 | 501 | 3 | 5 | 63.3 | 49.0 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | buccaneers | 5 | 22 | 123 | 5.6 | 0 | 21 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Kansas
- Hometown
- Lawndale, CA, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
Latest news about Jalon Daniels
All news →AI Predicts Every Week 7 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 8-of-14 Week 6 with two big High-confidence upsets, the model picks all 14 Week 7 games, from Patriots-Bears on Thursday to Cowboys-Eagles on Monday night, with only Minnesota rated High.
Steelers Beat Buccaneers 26-19 in Week 6
Pittsburgh Steelers 26, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19 at Raymond James Stadium. Aaron Rodgers went 33 of 49 for 253 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
AI Predicts Every Week 6 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 8-of-15 Week 5 in which the coin-flip picks went 1 for 6, the model picks all 14 Week 6 games, from Seahawks-Broncos on Thursday to Commanders-49ers on Monday night, with the Chiefs the widest lean.
Buccaneers Beat Cowboys 24-16 in Week 5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Dallas Cowboys 16 at AT&T Stadium. Jalon Daniels went 19 of 25 for 189 yards with 1 touchdown.
AI Predicts Every Week 5 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 11-of-16 Week 4, the model picks all 15 Week 5 games, from Thursday's Buccaneers-Cowboys to Bills-Rams on Monday night, with 49ers-Seahawks and Ravens-Falcons the closest calls.
Packers Edge Buccaneers 17-14 in Week 4
Green Bay Packers 17, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 at Raymond James Stadium. Jordan Love went 22 of 30 for 197 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Team
