The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a wasteland at backup quarterback dating back to Tom Brady’s time with the team, including spending a 2021 2nd round pick on Kyle Trask to do it for 4 seasons, followed by whatever they were trying to do at the spot last year.
While most teams want to try to get someone competent behind their starter, the Buccaneers seem resigned to just letting anybody do it. That could change if they take advantage of a glut of quarterback talent on the Pittsburgh Steelers and swap a Day 3 pick for veteran Mason Rudolph.
Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker put Rudolph on his list of the NFL’s top trade candidates with 2 months before the start of training camp.
“Pittsburgh finally addressed its overarching quarterback saga by re-signing Aaron Rodgers, but it now has another quandary to sort out with its remaining options,” Locker wrote. “Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh last season to operate as Rodgers’ backup. Despite the four-time MVP suffering a wrist injury that caused him to miss time, Rudolph didn’t fully capitalize. The former third-round pick garnered only a 50.5 PFF passing grade, tossing three turnover-worthy plays with zero big-time throws in his only start against the Bears. At the same time, Rudolph is a seasoned backup who can enter a game and at least be a manager. After the Steelers selected Drew Allar in the third round, it leaves the team with Rodgers, Allar, Rudolph and Will Howard in its quarterback room. It seems unlikely that all four will be retained, and Mike McCarthy very well may opt for a youth movement behind Rodgers.”
Rudolph, Mayfield Played in Infamous Game
Were Rudolph and Mayfield to land on the same team, it would bring together the 2 starting quarterbacks from a game that featured 1 of the most infamous on-field incidents in NFL history.
During a Week 11 Monday Night Football game in 2019 between the Cleveland Browns and Steelers, Mayfield watched from the sidelines as edge rusher and 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and clubbed him in the head with it, setting off a wild brawl between the 2 teams.
“I hate that anybody even has to watch this,” MNF analyst and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said during the broadcast. “This is barbaric, is what this is.”
Garrett was suspended for the rest of the regular season. Rudolph, who charged Garrett after his helmet was ripped off, was fined $50,000 for his role in the fracas.
Buccaneers Trade Pitch Brings Upgrade at Backup QB