Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has a clear timeframe for naming a starting quarterback as training camp kicks off.
The Bucs signed former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield in March to compete with Kyle Trask after Tom Brady‘s retirement. Both Bowles and Bucs general manager Jason Licht maintained throughout the offseason that there’s an ongoing competition between Mayfield and Trask despite Mayfield’s drastic edge on experience.
“Like I said, I’ve got a timetable in my head. Obviously, it will be preseason — I’m not going to make it in the regular season,” Bowles told reporters on Tuesday, July 25. “I have a timeline in my head, I’ve got my notes down. We talked as an offensive staff and as a coaching staff and we understand where we’re going. They know where I’m at and they know how I feel, so we’ll go with that.”
Bucs Baker Mayfield with the hoodie as team hits practice field.
Tampa Bay plays its first preseason game on August 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Bowles expects a “full-bore” competition between Mayfield and Trask. Mayfield played for four different teams in the 2022 calendar year while Trask sat behind Brady for a second season.
“It doesn’t [change]. We’re practicing full-bore now,” Bowles said. “Obviously, you take notes and you look at things in the spring to see how they learn, see how they handle the team, see how they grow, see how they encourage others and see who is the best fit for the offense. You evaluate it as the time goes. I’ve got a timeline in my head and I’ll make a decision at that point in time.”
Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask Last Had Great Years in 2020
Bowles emphasized that he sees value in both quarterbacks as leaders — though both are three years removed from their most recent brightest seasons in 2020. Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs and Trask became a Heisman Trophy candidate with Florida.
“They’re different as far as energy. Kyle has this inner confidence and Baker has a more ‘wear it on your sleeve’ confidence type of thing,” Bowles said. “Both get it done effectively and I think that’s how they can run the huddle each on their own. It’s more about the execution and control of the offense than it is their inner or outer confidence.”
Mayfield’s outspokenness shined through in Cleveland until the team traded him to the Carolina Panthers in 2022. Trask emerged from backup to a high-level starter in college, but he hasn’t made headway as an NFL quarterback yet.
Kyle Trask Finally Gets His Chance With Bucs
After the Bucs drafted Trask in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he didn’t see the field in a regular season game until December 2022. That could change when September arrives.
Expect a lot more movement from the Bucs quarterbacks this year vs last year. Lot of bootlegs, rollouts and waggles in this new offense. Kyle Trask worked really hard last year to improve his body composition and overall athleticism so this change hasn’t been too demanding on him
Licht noted that Trask is making the most of his chance this year — especially with added mobility. Trask played as a pocket passer in college and never tallied more than 50 yards rushing in a season.
“He’s just had opportunity now. He’s out there getting a lot of reps, so with that, you’re going to improve,” Licht told reporters on Tuesday. “His footwork, his arm strength has improved, his accuracy, he’s making quicker decisions – Dave [Canales] has done a great job with Thad [Lewis] on getting him to make quicker decisions and throw quicker.”
Licht likewise expressed his confidence in Mayfield. The former Oklahoma star showed a late-season resurgence in 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams before he signed with the Bucs.
“And then with Baker, he’s full of energy, he does all the right things, he’s working his butt off, he has a little bit of an attraction to him because of the energy that he has out there,” Licht said. “But, once again, once the bullets start flying and we start playing, people [and] players gravitate to the player that they think is going to give them the best opportunity to win.”
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Todd Bowles Gives Timeframe for Bucs QB Decision