TAMPA, Fla. — Following Pittsburgh’s 26-19 overtime victory, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels and Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers exchanged jerseys and shared a long embrace on the field, a moment captured on camera after the game.
Daniels said teammates had urged him all week to ask Rodgers for a jersey. “If you get the opportunity to ask him, you better ask him,” teammates told him, and fellow Buccaneers quarterback Brett Rypien even teased that he would request one on Daniels’ behalf, Daniels told ESPN.
Daniels said he felt he had to act while Rodgers is still playing. Referring to Rodgers’ plans to retire after the 2026 season, Daniels said, “Last season, last go around for him. So, I had to ask before he got up out of here,” according to ESPN. Daniels said Rodgers responded by embracing him and agreeing to swap jerseys.
Daniels recalled being surprised when the Super Bowl winner asked for his jersey in return. “[I] was about to walk away and he was like, ‘Wait, hold on. Can I get yours?'” Daniels said. Rodgers also offered public praise for Daniels’ play on the CBS broadcast, calling him “super respectful” and saying he liked the way Daniels throws and his mobility.
Daniels, a 2026 undrafted free agent, was making his second career start after Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb in Week 3. The week prior he led the Bucs to a 24-16 primetime upset of the Dallas Cowboys. Daniels said the jersey exchange lifted his spirits despite throwing two fourth-quarter interceptions in the loss that dropped Tampa Bay to 1-5. Daniels began camp fourth on the depth chart and rose to No. 2 by beating out veteran Jake Browning for the backup role, the team said.
