The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the impossible task of replacing Tom Brady this offseason. It is something that the New England Patriots experienced firsthand the difficulties of and now the Buccaneers are going through the game thing.
Brady opted to ride off into the sunset of retirement this offseason, and to this point, has stuck to it. There were a few rumors of him coming out of retirement to join the Las Vegas Raiders, but he shut those down quickly.
In need of a new starting quarterback, the Buccaneers signed free agent Baker Mayfield, who competed against 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask for the starting job. After two preseason games and an entire offseason of work, it is Mayfield who has come out victorious and will be the starter in Week 1.
“Baker’s our starting quarterback, Kyle’s our No. 2,” Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles said. “We love everything Kyle has done. And he’s gotten leaps and bounds better than he was in the spring and he’s continuing to get better and we’re excited about him. But Baker’s our guy right now — experience-wise and just understanding the playbook just a little bit better. But Kyle’s on the come [up]. But we like both guys. We like where we’re at. Baker’s [No.] 1, Kyle’s [No.] 2.”
With only one preseason game remaining, the Buccaneers felt this was the best time to make a call. Mayfield can now take all of the first-team reps in practice so that he can dial in his chemistry and cohesion with his teammates. This was the outcome that the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft expected.
“I expect to be the starter,” Mayfield said. “I know how talented I am. I know what type of leader I am. Now it’s time for the real thing. We’re about to have the real games and everybody’s excited here.”
Trask showed great improvement in all facets of his game. He was grasping the new offense being installed while developing his physical game as well. But, the experience that Mayfield provides with 69 starts under his belt is eventually what won out.
Mayfield always seemed to be the favorite for the job, but Trask certainly didn’t go down without a fight. There were portions of the offseason that he clearly outplayed Mayfield and it would not be shocking if he were to get a few starts at some point this season.
After all, there is a reason that Mayfield was available for the Buccaneers to sign at such an affordable price. He flamed out as the starter with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, eventually getting released and signed by the Los Angeles Rams.
He played better with a short-handed Rams squad, which likely earned him a shot at winning the Buccaneers’ starting job. But, his leash likely isn’t very long as the 2023 campaign could quickly turn into a rebuilding year in Tampa Bay.
