Bucs Name Baker Mayfield Starting Qb for Week 1
Baker Mayfield tossing a pass during the preseason.
(Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports)
Tampa Bay, Florida (PSF) - The Buccaneers have officially named their starting quarterback for week 1 of the 2023 season. Baker Mayfield will take over the spot that Tom Brady held for the past three seasons, giving him large shoes to fill. Mayfield beat out third-year quarterback Kyle Trask, who the Bucs drafted with the final pick in the second round in 2021. He is also set to break a NFL record for most different teams he has started for within two calendar years, as his final start with the Browns came in January 2022, played for the Panthers and Rams last year, and will now start for the Buccaneers.
Although Mayfield’s performance has been disappointing ever since his excellent 2020 campaign where he led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994, Mayfield does provide the much needed veteran experience at QB for the Buccaneers as he has started 69 career games, compared to none for Trask who has thrown just nine passes in his NFL career thus far. In his short stint with the Rams after signing with them ahead during Week 14 of the 2022 season, he had a career revival moment when he led a miraculous fourth quarter comeback against the Raiders that very same week, just two days after signing with the team. With the Rams trailing 16-3 with less than four minutes remaining in the game, Mayfield led two consecutive touchdown drives to lead the Rams to a 16-17 win. The most memorable play of the game was Mayfield’s game-winning 23 yard touchdown pass to receiver Van Jefferson with just 10 seconds remaining.
After signing a one-year deal with $4 million guaranteed and a potential increase to $8.5 million in incentives, Mayfield has his chance to prove he can be a solid NFL starter once again after losing his job to Sam Darnold in Carolina, leading to his release. The Buccaneers hope that this prove-it deal pays off and that Mayfield can be at least a temporary solution at quarterback.
