Preseason football can be a strange evaluation period for players fighting to stay in the NFL. A strong performance may not guarantee a roster spot, but it can give a player something valuable: more film for another team to study. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel knows that better than most.
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“The only reason I had a job in the NFL for 14 years is because I consistently balled out in the preseason,” Daniel wrote on X.
“Even if you get cut by your own team, that film is your audition for the other 31. I’ve seen plenty of guys play really well for their team, get caught in a numbers game, and go on to sign with another 53-man roster.”
Daniel’s point comes directly from his own unusual NFL career. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and initially signed with Washington before joining the New Orleans Saints. Daniel then became Drew Brees’ backup in 2010 and remained in that role through 2012. He was part of the Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV.
But Daniel’s argument stands because he’s earned stints with six teams after his time with the Saints. In the 2012 preseason, his last year at New Orleans, Daniel threw for 450 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Daniel’s 2013 preseason with Kansas City gave him a chance to show what he could do after leaving New Orleans. Against his former team in Week 1, he completed 6 of 10 passes for 42 yards. His strongest showing came against Pittsburgh, when he went 14-of-24 for 152 yards and a touchdown, earning a 91.0 passer rating and leading Kansas City to an overtime win.
Years later, Chase Daniel produced another strong preseason with the Chicago Bears in 2018. He completed 50 of 74 passes for 516 yards. The Bears described him as having “excelled in the preseason” when Mitchell Trubisky was dealing with a shoulder injury.
Daniel’s career also shows the value teams can find in players who may never become full-time starters. Over 14 seasons, he reportedly earned $43 million in NFL salary.
Chase Daniel was rarely the quarterback teams built around, but he kept finding ways to remain valuable when opportunities came his way. His preseason performances gave teams a reason to keep believing in him, helping turn a backup role into a 14-year NFL career.