The quarterback battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask is wide open after Tom Brady’s NFL retirement prompted uncertainty in the organisation
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht suggested on Wednesday that Baker Mayfield has yet to nail down the team’s starting quarterback job. Kyle Trask could leapfrog the ex-Cleveland Browns passer for the role with a strong training camp.
The Buccaneers signed Mayfield as a free agent after Tom Brady retired following last season’s playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys. However, they already had Trask stashed on their depth chart from the 2021 NFL Draft. Licht indicated that competition between the players would help everyone ahead of the new campaign.
“One thing I’m looking forward to is – this is really the first time since I’ve been here, and I’m going on Year 10 – of a true quarterback competition,” Licht said. “One thing I’m looking forward to is just how hyper-focused we’re going to be in those practices here at the beginning of camp for the first few weeks, at least. Just to see who takes the next step forward.
“People can have in their head, ‘Well, it seems like it’s for sure going to be this person or it’s not going to be this person,’ but until we’re out there, anything can happen. It’s going to be a lot of fun just to really focus on how this is going to play out.”