Baker Mayfield Gets Starting Nod for Week 1

Baker Mayfield Gets Starting Nod for Week 1

12 August, 2023

Less than a day remain till the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason begins. It was meant to be the beginning of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask facing off against rivals for the job of starting quarterback. But according to a report, it appears that an actual competition was never going to take place.

Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan reports that in Week 1’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay will start the seasoned Mayfield.

“About this Trask and Mayfield competition, I was told pointedly and without much doubt, Mayfield’s going to be the starter in Minneapolis,” Kaufman said. “That’s what I was told. With all due respect to Trask, who has had a good training camp and Mayfield’s struggled a bit, Mayfield’s getting the ball in Minneapolis.

“When it was told to me [that Mayfield would start Week 1] it was said in a definitive manner. There was no equivocation. It wasn’t even said, ‘Well, depending on it could change in the preseason games; let’s see what happens.’ No, none of that. It was basically, ‘It’s Mayfield’s job. He’s got it. He’s going to be the starter against Kirk Cousins and those Vikings.’”

The wait continues for those who hoped Trask would get the go-ahead. And even though it appeared that Trask had outperformed the seasoned Mayfield during training camp, the coaching staff holds a different opinion.

When the 28-year-old begins against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Buccaneers first preseason game on Friday, he will get a head start working with the starters and practice for the regular season in real time.