BUCCANEERS NAME BAKER MAYFIELD WEEK ONE STARTING QUARTERBACK
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially named quarterback Baker Mayfield the team’s Week One starter, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles announced to reporters following Tuesday’s team practice that Mayfield was the no.1 and Trask was the backup quarterback.
“Baker’s our starting quarterback,” said Bowles. “Kyle’s number 2… There’s a lot that goes into it. I can’t sit up here and give you every detail. We go through minicamp, training camp and OTAs and we love everything Kyle [Trask] has done. He’s gotten leaps and bounds better than he was in the spring. He’s continuing to get better and we’re excited about him.”
25-year-old Kyle Trask was drafted in the second-round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has sat behind Tom Brady over the last two years, learning what it takes to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. The former Florida Gator has still yet to start a game in the league but is expected to get a chance sooner rather than later.
“Baker’s our guy right now, experience wise and understanding the playbook just a little bit better but Kyle’s on the come[up] ,” said Todd Bowles. “We like both guys, we like where we’re at and Baker’s one, Kyle’s two.”
Bowles revealed that he notified the quarterbacks about the starting job update before speaking to the media but has still yet to tell the team, saying that “the team will go with whoever’s out there.” Tampa Bay boasts a unique quarterback group that now includes Mayfield and Trask, and former Rams backup quarterback John Wolford.
All three QBs will play on below market value deals in 2023, as the Bucs will only have a $4.2 million cap hit from all three. Brady’s $35.1 million cap hit in 2023 is the only major money constraint at the position and the Bucs will have to make do with the players they have available to them.
Mayfield, a former number 1 overall pick will now take over the starting job at the club, replacing seven-time Super Bowl champion Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, who called time on his 23-season career after 2022. After a tough few months in which both Mayfield and Trask were involved in a fiery but healthy competition, the former Oklahoma Sooner is now officially the starter and should see most of the September 10th opener in Minnesota against the Vikings.
The 2018 no.1 overall pick joined the Bucs in April after a short stint with the Los Angeles Rams, just months after he was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers. After a frustrating 2022 campaign, the 28-year-old signed a one-year contract in Tampa Bay and is set to be paid a base salary of $4 million and another $4.5 million in additional incentives.
Baker, now a six-year veteran, discussed his starting role on Tuesday at the Advent Health Training Center. “Coach Bowles came up to me this morning and told me that he had talked to Kyle already and informed me that they are going to roll with me,” said Mayfield. “Now, I just have to lead like I know how and the real thing [regular season] is right around the corner. It is an exciting time.”
“To be able to be on a platform now with a great franchise and to earn the job is an unbelievable feeling. You never want to take those for granted. I am one of 32 guys who can say they are a starting quarterback in the NFL, so it is a special honor. I am living out a dream but now is not the time to be satisfied.”
Mayfield started the Buccaneers’ preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers and completed 8 of 9 passes for 63 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions over the course of four possessions. The Austin, Texas native didn’t play against the Jets the ensuing week, but Bowles confirmed that he’ll start and play the first half in the preseason finale versus Baltimore at Raymond James Stadium this Sunday.
The 2017 Heisman trophy winner will now take the lead in a new-look Bucs offense with new offensive coordinator Dave Canales and is expected by both fans and media to thrive immediately. The Buccaneers are still a talented group and have in recent years gotten accustomed to success with Tom Brady at the club. Mayfield will also have wide receiver tandem Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to rely upon as well as one of the better offensive lines in the NFL.
“I expected to be the starter,” said Mayfield. “I know how talented I am and what type of leader I am. Now, it is time for the real thing, so we are about to have the real games, and everybody is excited here.”
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.