Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels had a memorable moment after the Bucs' 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Teammates Brett Rypien and the other Bucs quarterbacks urged Daniels to ask his idol, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, for a jersey. Daniels summoned the courage, and Rodgers responded with a long embrace captured on camera postgame, showing a tender side not often seen during his intense games.
The moment took an unexpected turn when Rodgers asked for Daniels' jersey in return. The Super Bowl winner and future Pro Football Hall of Famer had been paying close attention to the young quarterback, who led the Bucs to a 24-16 primetime upset of the Dallas Cowboys the week before. It was Tampa Bay's first win of the season and only Daniels' second career start, which came after starter Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb in Week 3.
Rodgers praised Daniels on the CBS broadcast, calling him a super respectful guy with talent with his feet and an arm he likes. "I'm excited to see how he develops," Rodgers said. Daniels said he was touched, noting it is not every day he hears that from a Hall of Famer.
The Bucs could not turn the emotional moment into a win. Tampa Bay led 16-3 at one point, but Rodgers rallied Pittsburgh in the fourth quarter while the Steelers' defense tightened up. Daniels threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, and the loss dropped the Bucs to 1-5.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing