The Tampa Bay Buccaneers named Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback for Week 1 after a long position battle with Kyle Trask. While Mayfield and Trask are both expected to make starts this fall in Tampa Bay, Matthew Stafford could’ve landed with the Buccaneers.
Following the retirement of Tom Brady, Tampa Bay explored a wide variety of options. With Trask previously struggling to pick up the playbook, the Buccaneers wanted a proven signal-caller who could run the offense and make smart decisions with the football.
Ultimately, Tampa Bay signed Mayfield to a one-year deal with an opportunity to compete for the starting job against Trask. However, the former No. 1 overall pick reportedly wasn’t the top quarterback that Tampa Bay pursued this offseason.
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- Matthew Stafford stats (2022): 87.4 QB rating, 2,087 passing yards, 68 percent completion rate, 10-8 TD-INT ratio, 21.9 pass ypg, 6.9 yards per attempt, 50.3 QBR
On the latest Yahoo Sports’ You Pod to Win the Game podcast, senior NFL insider Charles Robinson disclosed that the Buccaneers inquired with Los Angeles about Stafford’s availability.
“They made a call on Stafford, that was kinda interesting. I did find that out while I was going through camps. They did make a call on Stafford…they checked in with the Rams.”
Charles Robinson on Tampa Bay Buccaneers exploring a trade for Matthew Stafford
- Matthew Stafford contract: $20 million cap hit in 2023, $49.5 million cap hit in 2024, $50.5 million cap charge in 2025, $49.5 million cap charge in 2026
Stafford, entering his age-35 season, ultimately wasn’t moved by Los Angeles. After tearing down a majority of the roster this spring, unloading several contributors from the Super Bowl-winning team, the Rams opted to keep their veteran quarterback.
Once Stafford was off the table and Aaron Rodgers dictated what team he wanted to play for, Tampa Bay quickly ran out of options. Had they acquired Stafford, the Buccaneers would’ve been the overwhelming favorite to win the NFC South, with many around the league believing the Buccaneers’ roster outside of quarterback is in the upper half of the NFC.
Not acquiring Stafford might’ve also been the best long-term outcome for Tampa Bay. Heading into the 2023 NFL season, the Buccaneers are projected to have just $600,000 in cap space this year and only $27.1 million in 2024. Now, the Buccaneers can see how Mayfield and Trask perform while still giving themselves a shot at a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.