Kansas Professional Athletes

Daniels Steps Up, Falls Short in Tampa

It was the kind of NFL debut story that writes itself — until it didn't.

Jalon Daniels, the undrafted rookie out of Kansas, made his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, filling in for injured Baker Mayfield against a Pittsburgh Steelers squad led by Aaron Rodgers. Daniels played well enough to keep Tampa in it: 164 passing yards, a touchdown, and 39 rushing yards. But two fourth-quarter interceptions unraveled the Buccaneers' hopes, and Pittsburgh rallied to win in overtime, 26–19.

The loss stings, but the postgame moment may linger longer. Daniels, who grew up watching Rodgers dominate the NFL, received a personal gift from the veteran QB after the game — a gesture that made the rounds quickly given the generational contrast on display. Rodgers, 42, is the kind of player Daniels grew up idolizing. Now he's on the same field, trading snaps and handshakes.

The interceptions are the footnote that will follow Daniels into film sessions, but the broader arc is notable: an undrafted Kansas signal-caller starting NFL games, competing, and earning respect from one of the greatest to ever play the position. That's not nothing.

The road ahead narrows fast. Baker Mayfield returned to practice Wednesday, and his presence casts a long shadow over Daniels' role going forward. Barring a setback, the starting job almost certainly returns to Mayfield — which means Daniels' window as a starter may have already closed after just a handful of appearances.

Other Jayhawks Around the League

Daniels wasn't the only Kansas alumnus active this week. Austin Booker had a busy stretch for the Chicago Bears, appearing in back-to-back games — a win over Atlanta on Sunday and a Thursday night victory over the Patriots. The young defensive end continues to carve out a role on Chicago's front.

Dorance Armstrong suited up for Washington's loss to San Francisco on Monday, as the Commanders fell 17–23. The veteran DE remains a consistent presence on the edge for Washington.

The rest of Kansas' sizeable NFL alumni contingent — a roster that spans from Hakeem Adeniji in Baltimore to Cobee Bryant in Atlanta to Dominick Puni in San Francisco — had quieter weeks, but the sheer depth of Jayhawk talent across the league is a story of its own.

For now, though, all eyes were on Daniels. He showed enough to believe the undrafted label was more oversight than verdict. Whether he gets another chance to prove it in Tampa — or somewhere else down the line — is the next chapter to watch.

Austin Booker Demands the Ball — Then Takes It

Austin Booker didn't just make a case for more playing time. He made it impossible for the Chicago Bears to ignore him.

The Kansas product went into Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers having already aired his grievances publicly — frustrated with a limited role and vocal about wanting more snaps. Then he went out and delivered the best performance of his NFL career: 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in a dominant showing that had Bears coaches talking, even if the scoreboard didn't cooperate. Chicago fell 31–7.

The frustration was real and on record. Before the game, Booker told reporters he was "not happy" with his usage and made clear he believed he could do more if given the opportunity. It's the kind of locker-room friction that can go sideways fast — but Booker's response on the field was the answer most players only dream of giving.

Per Sports Illustrated's Bears stock report, Booker was one of four players whose stock rose sharply in the wake of the Week 5 loss — a rare distinction on a day when Chicago was getting blown out. For a pass rusher who came out of Kansas with plenty of hype but had yet to put it all together in an NFL game, this was the moment.

The Bears don't figure to keep him buried on the depth chart much longer. At 7-31, Chicago has every reason to develop and unleash young talent — and Booker just made the strongest possible argument that he's ready.

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Daniels Keeps Starting in Tampa

Meanwhile, former Kansas QB Jalon Daniels is in the middle of his own unexpected spotlight moment in Tampa Bay.

With starter Baker Mayfield sidelined by a dislocated thumb, Daniels has stepped in as the Buccaneers' quarterback — and at least one former Super Bowl champion with the franchise believes he's the team's best option under center. As Tampa goes for a second consecutive win with Daniels starting, Mayfield's return timeline is beginning to take shape, which means the window for Daniels may be measured in weeks, not months.

Still, the fact that a former Kansas signal-caller is starting NFL games — and winning — is a storyline Jayhawk fans should be paying attention to. Daniels, who had a turbulent injury history in Lawrence, has quietly built a case for himself on one of the league's more competitive rosters.

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Around the AFC and NFC

Dorance Armstrong, the longest-tenured Kansas alum in the NFL conversation, played for Washington in their Week 5 tie with the New York Giants — a 27–27 result that left the Commanders searching for answers. Armstrong's stat line wasn't notable this week, but the Commanders' inability to close out a winnable game underscores the broader frustration in D.C.

The rest of the Jayhawk diaspora — from Cobee Bryant in Atlanta to Devin Neal in Washington to Mason Fairchild in New Orleans — continues to populate rosters across the league, a testament to Kansas's growing NFL pipeline even as its alumni work to carve out consistent roles.

But this week belongs to Booker. Speak up, then back it up — that's a week worth remembering.

The story of Kansas football in the NFL this week belongs entirely to one name — and it's one Jayhawks fans will be telling for a long time.

Jalon Daniels, the undrafted rookie out of Lawrence, made NFL history Thursday night when he guided the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 24-16 upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football — just his second career start. Filling in for injured starter Baker Mayfield (dislocated right thumb), Daniels completed the evening with 189 passing yards, a touchdown, and 23 rushing yards, engineering one of the more stunning upsets of the 2026 NFL season.

The historical significance of the moment was immediately noted across the league. Daniels became the first undrafted rookie quarterback to win his second career start under circumstances of this magnitude — a road win over a Cowboys team that owner Jerry Jones called "extraordinarily disappointing" in a blunt postgame assessment. Jones separately flagged his defense as "mind-boggling," a damning quote that spread quickly and underscored just how thoroughly Tampa Bay controlled the night.

Daniels credited the fast start for setting the tone. "It gave us confidence we could win the game," he told reporters after the final whistle. The sentiment was genuine — the Buccaneers came in as heavy underdogs, 0-4 and widely counted out, and left Arlington with their first win of the season and a quarterback who suddenly looks like a legitimate story.

The moment that resonated beyond the scoreboard: cameras caught Daniels sharing an emotional exchange with his mother after the game — a scene that went viral and put a human face on a remarkable underdog arc.

The win wasn't a fluke built on a favorable matchup. One week earlier, in his first career start, Daniels had shown real promise in a 17-14 loss to Green Bay, throwing for 148 yards and a score while rushing for 55 yards — despite tossing two interceptions that put the Buccaneers in a difficult position at halftime. He absorbed that lesson fast.

With Mayfield reportedly pushing to return sooner than expected from his thumb injury, Daniels' window may be brief. But he's already done enough to make Jayhawk Nation proud — and to make NFL front offices wonder how he went undrafted in the first place.

Elsewhere in the NFL

Two other Kansas alumni saw action during the week. DE Austin Booker recorded a sack for the Chicago Bears in their 23-12 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, continuing a solid early-season campaign. DE Dorance Armstrong suited up for Washington in their 30-13 loss to Indianapolis, though the Commanders' defense had a difficult afternoon against the Colts.

Former Kansas RB Devin Neal made news off the field — he was cut by the Minnesota Vikings ahead of their trip to New Orleans, a move that created an awkward near-reunion with the Saints, his former club. Roster rules complicated any potential signing, leaving Neal's NFL future uncertain heading into the week.