Image courtesy of Vanessa Wenzl | The Crow’s Nest
The Buccaneers opener to the NFL season starts today against the Minnesota Vikings, featuring new starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield.
The 6’1 2017 Heisman trophy winner comes to the team under a one-year contract post the “Tom Brady Era,” where fan expectations are high and doubts are even higher.
Regardless, Mayfield came to fight for his position as starter against Kyle Trask with newly signed John Wolford as well.
“I have had to compete my whole life,” Mayfield said in a training camp press conference over the summer, “Its nothing new to me.”
In a press conference during training camp, head coach Todd Bowles mentioned he didn’t know his starter before the preseason games, leaving fans questioning the Buccaneers’ future.
The quarterback position has the most important job on the team and according to game time, Kyle Trask seemed like the man for the job.
The former Florida Gator has been the backup quarterback for the Buccaneers since his 2021 draft, practicing behind Brady during his time in the bay. Trask has showed impressive plays in preseason time on the field, despite not making starter for the Buccaneers. In the second quarter of the preseason match up versus the the New York Jets, Trask threw deep to wide receiver Trey Palmer resulting in the first touch down during the game.
“The more reps you get as the game goes on, you get in a rhythm.” Trask said in a post-game press conference.
Mayfield has many NFL career reps under his belt coming from his last teams, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.
The Cleveland Browns were the first to take the risk on Mayfield in 2018 after his booming career with the Oklahoma Sooners. Mayfield brought the Browns to their first playoffs appearance since 2002 during his time on the team.
The hope is he does the same here and brings the championship competition back for Tampa.
Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be back in the Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m.
