One of the more intriguing quarterback battles to watch throughout training camp has been that of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who enter the 2023 season with a major question mark at the position following Tom Brady’s retirement. The team will return one signal-caller with some familiarity with the team, while they added a former number-one overall pick to give a jolt of competition.
Bucs starting quarterback: Baker Mayfield
The former number-one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft will suit up for his fourth team in the last three seasons when he takes his first regular-season snap with the Buccaneers. Mayfield is coming off a 2022 season in which he played for both the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, having thrown for 2,163 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 79.0 passer rating.
While his first six games with the Panthers were a rollercoaster, Mayfield played much more efficiently in his stint with the Rams. He increased his completion percentage to 63.6 through five games with Los Angeles, having thrown for 850 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.
Who is Baker Mayfield’s backup on the Buccaneers’ QB depth chart?
Kyle Trask will back up Mayfield in Tampa Bay this season, as he returns for his second campaign with the team. Trask appeared in just one game last season, completing 3-of-9 pass attempts for 23 yards with an average of 2.6 yards per attempt. While Mayfield has more years’ worth of experience in his back pocket, Trask enters with an added level of comfortability after having spent one season with his surrounding weapons. Nonetheless, both quarterbacks will enter a new offensive scheme with Dave Canales now on board as offensive coordinator.