Getty Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield might not have beaten out Tanner McKee according to a Bleacher Report analyst.
Doubts about Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask keep pouring in.
This time it’s how former Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee should have landed with the Bucs instead of the Philadelphia Eagles. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox floated the idea amid his takes on which rookies “were drafted by the wrong team” this year.
Knox wrote that the Eagles “got great value” in McKee with the No. 188 pick in the sixth round. However, Knox noted that destination is “less great for” McKee as he will likely sit behind MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts for years.
“Had McKee landed with the Buccaneers at No. 191, he would probably have had an opportunity to battle Mayfield and Trask for the starting job,” Knox wrote.
McKee, a 6-foot-6, 228-pound quarterback, showed potential as a pocket passer at Stanford. He threw for 5,336 yards and 28 touchdowns in 23 career games for a 131.5 quarterback rating.
I hope Tanner McKee is wearing a Buccaneers uniform in 2023
Knox also suggested for McKee to stay in California land with the Los Angeles Rams to begin his career instead of the Eagles. The Rams notably took former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett during the fourth round instead.
“In L.A. or Tampa, McKee might have gotten a chance to be the quarterback of the future,” Knox wrote. “He’ll be part of no such succession plan in Philly.”
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will roll with Mayfield or Trask amid a sea of doubters nationally. The Bucs notably didn’t draft a quarterback and opted to sign former Rams backup quarterback John Wolford as the third signal caller.
Trask joined the Bucs as a second round draft pick in 2021 as a potential successor to Tom Brady, who retired on February 1. Mayfield signed with the Bucs in March after a topsy-turvy 2022 season where he bounced around three teams that year.
Baker Mayfield Pays Tribute to NFL Great Jim Brown
Mayfield, who began his career with the Cleveland Browns in 2018, paid tribute to recently deceased Browns and NFL great running back Jim Brown. The three-time MVP and eight-time All-Pro died at the age of 87 on Thursday.
“The greatest to ever do it,” Mayfield wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for the conversations and your time and support. Thank you for inspiring greatness in so many in Cleveland and around the world. Rest in peace.”
Jim Brown Believed in Baker Mayfield
If Mayfield wins the starting job in Tampa and plays to the level he did early in his career, he could do to national doubters as he did to Brown in 2018. Brown expressed his doubts amid a “no comment” response to a TMZ Sports interview question in April 2018 about the team’s selection.
That all changed in September 2018 when Mayfield won his debut against the New York Jets in a 21-17 win. Mayfield threw for 201 yards on 17-23 passing.
“He’s a gunslinger, he can throw the ball, he’s got a great attitude, he’s young. I like everything about him,” Brown told TMZ Sports in September 2018.
Mayfield lived up to expectations in Cleveland for a time with the franchise’s first playoff win since 1994 during the 2020 season. Things went south after that when the team traded for Deshaun Watson.
Whether or not Mayfield can rebuild his career in Tampa remains to be seen.