NFL Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Torn Between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask at Starting Quarterback

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have yet to decide who will lead them in the post-Tom Brady era. According to the Athletic's Greg Auman, quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask will alternate starts in the first two games of the preseason as they continue to compete for the chance to start Week 1.

The Buccaneers will start Baker Mayfield on Friday night in their preseason matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday.

Kyle Trask will start the following week against the Jets as the team works to determine a Week 1 starter.https://t.co/8wLWgiYKb4
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) August 9, 2023

The Buccaneers spent a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to acquire Trask and signed Mayfield to a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason, but neither of the two have distinguished themselves so far in training camp.

Mayfield and Trask have enormous shoes to fill. After joining the Bucs in 2020, Tom Brady led the team to the greatest two-year run in franchise history, setting franchise records for points scored in consecutive seasons and delivering a huge win in Super Bowl LV. Prior to Brady's arrival, the Bucs had missed the playoffs for 12 consecutive years.

Mayfield joined the Bucs this offseason after flaming out with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Rams. The first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has 16288 passing yards, 102 touchdowns, and 64 interceptions to his name but has never played for an offense that finished better than 14th in points scored.

Trask was the 64th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He compiled 7386 passing yards, 69 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions over a solid college career at Florida but has yet to show much in the pros. He has only completed three of his nine career passes in the NFL.

The Bucs are flirting with a stunning fall from grace by rolling with Mayfield and Trask, but that may very well be the idea. Bottoming out in 2023 could give them a chance at finding a franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.