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Since Jake Browning signed with the Bucs in free agency, the assumption was that the veteran would be Baker Mayfield’s top backup.

Not so fast.

With how highly the organization has viewed Jalon Daniels since signing him as an undrafted free agent, a competition for the backup quarterback job has been brewing for quite some time now.

Head coach Todd Bowles revealed as much on Wednesday, with Browning having the chance to respond with his thoughts about it.

Jake Browning Welcomes The Competition Jalon Daniels And Connor Bazelak Provide

Todd Bowles made it clear that he is not playing favorites when it comes to determining who the second quarterback on the depth chart is.

“It’s open,” Bowles said about the quarterback competition. “It’s been open.”

Bucs QB Jake Browning – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

That goes back to a story I wrote back in mid-May discussing how Jalon Daniels has made it a “legit” competition. Some might have scoffed at the time, but it was offensive coordinator Zac Robinson who singled him out as the rookie who stood out most in rookie mini-camp. after general manager Jason Licht praised him on the Pewter Report Podcast earlier this offseason.

There has long been the feeling Daniels could make some noise.

After doing just that in the preseason opener against the Jets, there is a chance the undrafted signal-caller could make a serious push to unseat Jake Browning. Asked about what he thinks about there being a competition, Browning is embracing it.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

“I think anytime you’re in the NFL – if you think you’re above any competition, you’re in the wrong business,” Browning said. “So, [I] welcome any competition and feel pretty confident that I’ve been playing really well this camp.

“I had the back thing pop up, and really before that, I felt like I was playing really well, and since coming back, I feel like I picked up right where I left off. ‘J.D.’ (Jalon Daniels) played well, and ‘Baze’ (Connor Bazelak) is a really good player too, so we [have] got a good room. You know, I’m not shying away from any competition – bring it.”

To Browning’s credit, he has had a solid showing throughout training camp. He has played above and beyond what Kyle Trask and Teddy Bridgewater displayed last summer, looking the part of someone who could fill in for a game or two if the need ever arose. Saturday night’s preseason game against the Chiefs will say a lot about whether he can lock the second quarterback job down or if Daniels truly has a chance.

“I think anytime you’re playing, whether it’s in-season, regular season or preseason, or anything like that, you’re building a resume,” Browning said about playing in the preseason. “So, you [have to] prepare and all that, for your opportunities to play. I try not to overthink, like, ‘I might play, I might not.’

“I’ve been a backup for a while, [so] you get used to it a little bit, where it’s like, you know, that is the job – nobody knows if you’re prepared or anything like that until you just get thrown in there. So, you know, [I] try not to really overthink that too much – it’s just kind of my routine that I prepare, and once you’re on the field and you feel that confidence in that preparation, you just let it rip.”

Jake Browning’s experience with the Bengals made him a logical backup quarterback option for the Bucs to bring in on a relatively cheap one-year deal. It is now on Browning to prove his worth and show he is the best signal-caller on the team not named Baker Mayfield.