TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff has been impressed by what they’ve seen from quarterback Baker Mayfield since signing him as a free agent this offseason.
The plan is for Mayfield to compete for the starting quarterback job with Kyle Trask.
Offensive coordinator Dave Canales believes it’s better for the team to wait as long as possible before naming a starter.
“For me, it’s a win-win when you create a competition,” Canales said on Wednesday. “If you name a starter today, the backup guy starts thinking like a backup. If you say this is a competition, you’re going to allow us to go into the preseason, let them show they can manage to get us in the right play; they can take care of the ball. That’s going to be the determining factor. The bonus is who pushes it down the field.”
Mayfield has played a lot of football, and at times, at a very high level. In 2020, he threw 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, leading the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff win since 1994.
“I can feel the hunger he has to re-establish himself as the starter, and he really has the type of career he envisioned, that the Browns envisioned in him taking him number one overall,” Canales said.
Canales also wants to see what Trask can do after backing up Tom Brady for two seasons. In those two seasons, Trask has thrown a total of nine passes.
“If Kyle would’ve had more opportunities, I would’ve loved to have seen what would’ve happened with those,” Canales said. “I don’t think we need to rush to make any decisions, is my opinion. Wait as long as you can, as long as possible. Our offense and defense, they don’t need us to name a starter. Trust me.”
The Bucs added to the competition this week by signing for Los Angeles Rams signal-caller John Wolford, who Canales called “the smartest guy in the room.”
