Bucs rookie Jalon Daniels asked his idol Aaron Rodgers for a jersey and Rodgers asked for his in return

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels walked away from Sunday's loss with a keepsake he will never forget: a jersey from his idol, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And Rodgers asked for one of Daniels' in return.

All week, Daniels' teammates had urged him to make the ask. "If you get the opportunity to ask him, you better ask him," Daniels recalled them saying. Fellow quarterback Brett Rypien went further: "If you didn't ask him, I was going to ask for you."

"Last season, last go around for him. So, I had to ask before he got up out of here," Daniels said, pointing to Rodgers' plan to retire after this season.

"Wait, hold on. Can I get yours?"

After the Steelers rallied for a 26-19 overtime win in Tampa, Daniels found Rodgers and was greeted with a long embrace that cameras caught on the field. "I don't want to be that guy -- and he was just like, 'I know exactly what you're getting at. I'll give you the jersey,'" Daniels said.

The two shook hands and Daniels started to leave. "[I] was about to walk away and he was like, 'Wait, hold on. Can I get yours?'" Daniels said. "Now, that's kind of what caught me by surprise."

Rodgers had been watching. "Super respectful guy. I like his game. I like the way he throws it. Obviously, super talented with his feet," Rodgers said on the game broadcast. "I'm excited to see how he develops."

"It's not every day you hear that from a Hall of Famer," Daniels said.

From fourth string to starter

Daniels, a six-year starter at Kansas, went undrafted in 2026 and opened training camp fourth on the Bucs' depth chart. He climbed to No. 2 by beating out veteran Jake Browning, then was thrust into the lineup when Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb in Week 3. A week before facing Rodgers, he led Tampa Bay to a 24-16 upset in Dallas for the team's first win of the season.

Sunday was tougher. The Bucs led 16-3 before Rodgers led the comeback. Daniels threw two fourth-quarter interceptions as Tampa Bay fell to 1-5. Still, he said the moment with Rodgers "absolutely" lifted his spirits. "It wasn't easy," he said, "but it comes with the game."