The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are undergoing a major change on the offensive side of the ball in 2023. After having the legendary Tom Brady as their starting quarterback the last three seasons, they will have a new starter under center this year.
Brady opted to ride off into retirement earlier this offseason, leaving a huge void on the Buccaneers’ roster. Without Brady, many people are already writing the team off as it is hard to envision them remaining contenders with the greatest of all time leading their offense.
Tasked with having to replace Brady will be Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask. Mayfield was signed as a free agent this offseason while Trask was a second-round pick of the Buccaneers in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The two are going to battle it out for the starting spot during training camp in a competition each will have a chance to win. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports would seemingly believe Mayfield will win the starting job, as he was named the Buccaneers’ offensive x-factor for the 2023 season.
However, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Dubin had some unflattering words for Mayfield and what his presence on the field could mean for the team.
“The downgrade from Tom Brady is, uh, a significant one. The Bucs offense already took a large step backward last season. Can Mayfield avoid taking the offense into the tank, or will he look a lot like the player he’s been every year after his very good rookie season? Considering the (lack of) strength of this offensive line, the latter seems more likely.”
Mayfield did look pretty good with the Los Angeles Rams at the end of the 2022 season despite the supporting cast lacking around him. However, he did start the season off so poorly with the Carolina Panthers that they benched him twice and eventually released him.
In Tampa Bay, Mayfield will have two excellent wide receivers to work with in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They should help him elevate his game some, but as Dubin pointed out, his efforts could be undone by the ineptitude of the offensive line in front of him.
2023 is a big reason for the former No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma as it could be his last chance to prove he can be a full-time starter in the NFL. But, before he can prove that, he needs to beat out Trask, who has the upper leg entering Year 3 with the organization, for the starting job.
