Buccaneers Face Major Decision at Quarterback

Roster cuts begin Sunday across the NFL, meaning difficult decisions involving fringe players are quickly approaching. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of those decisions could involve the quarterback room.

Baker Mayfield has the starting job secured. Behind him, Jake Browning and Jalon Daniels have spent training camp competing for the QB2 role.

That competition has remained intense throughout camp. The Buccaneers entered their preseason finale with the backup quarterback battle still unsettled.

Jalon Daniels Gets Most of the Work

Tampa Bay finished its preseason schedule Friday with a 19-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Daniels received the majority of the quarterback reps during the finale.

The rookie completed 8-of-15 passes for 57 yards. He was also sacked three times during his time on the field.

Browning played later in the game and completed 2-of-4 passes for two yards. He was sacked twice during his appearance.

Daniels had the bigger opportunity but didn’t exactly take advantage of his first-half reps. Tampa Bay’s offense struggled throughout the night and finished with only 87 total yards.

Jason Licht Leaves Door Open for Three Quarterbacks

During the preseason finale, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht joined the broadcast booth. He was asked whether Tampa Bay could potentially keep three quarterbacks on its roster.

Via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, Licht responded:

“If you have to do it, you have to do it.”

That answer leaves the possibility of Tampa Bay carrying three quarterbacks heading into the regular season. The Buccaneers still have a significant decision to make before the roster is finalized.

Browning’s Experience vs Daniels’ Potential

Browning didn’t do much Friday to strengthen his case for the QB2 position. However, he brings significantly more NFL experience than Daniels.

Daniels is an undrafted rookie from Kansas University. Browning has considerably more experience at the professional level.

Auman also highlighted Browning’s struggles during the finale:

“Not sure where Jake Browning stands in Bucs’ QB plans, but he hasn’t helped himself tonight. Enters late third quarter, three drives, all negative-yard three-and-outs, 2-for-4 for 2 yards with two sacks.”

The Buccaneers now have to determine whether Daniels’ upside is enough to overcome his lack of NFL experience. They must also decide whether Browning’s experience makes him the safer choice behind Mayfield.

With roster cuts beginning Sunday, the QB2 competition could be one of Tampa Bay’s most interesting decisions.

Could the undrafted rookie from Kansas ultimately win the QB2 job?