Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on-record stating they have full confidence in quarterback Kyle Trask, that didn’t stop the team from bringing in some competition to push their second-year QB.
The Bucs agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million with former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be Mayfield’s fourth team in three years. He’s expected to compete with Trask for Tampa’s starting job.
Mayfield, who split last season between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, seemingly revived his career in L.A. after asking for his release in Carolina. In five games with the Rams, Mayfield threw for 850 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
He had a 1-3 record as a starter, but he led the team to a 17-16 come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football in Week 14 in his Rams debut.
“It’s got to be the best opportunity,” Mayfield told reporters in January of where he’ll play in 2023. “I’m not going to go chase a check to start and play. After seeing a place that makes me have fun playing football again, it’s going to be hard to try something else new, but it’s going to be a big-time decision. There’s going to be a lot of thought put into it. There’s going to be a lot of change this offseason all around the league.”
Mayfield is just two years removed from leading the Cleveland Browns to an 11-5 season and a playoff appearance. That year, he completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
Trask, a 2021 second-round pick, completed just three of nine passes for 23 yards while backing up Tom Brady this season. Though he has significantly less experience than Mayfield, he did get a vote of confidence from general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Scouting Bowles at the NFL Combine.
