Unlike in previous years, there isn’t much of an ongoing quarterback competition for any of the 32 NFL franchises. Roster spots and backup positions are on the line, but the starters have mostly been known for weeks, if not months. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be the team with the closest thing resembling a starting QB competition.
How do you replace Tom Brady? The Buccaneers are doing their best in their quest to find out. The process actually began back in 2021, Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay, when Kyle Trask was selected as the 64th pick in the NFL Draft. Yet, if he had convinced anyone he was ready to grab the keys to the Bucs’ offense, they wouldn’t have signed former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield in free agency.
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Even though Mayfield signed a contract that looks much more like a backup QB’s pay rate, with a salary of $1.125 million, he’s in the driver’s seat to win the leading role. But the Buccaneers haven’t quite named a starter just yet as they prepare for Week 2 of the preseason.
It’s gotten to the point where Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans is publicly admitting that it would be beneficial for him and his teammates to know who the starter is by now.
“We want to know who the starter’s going to be, you know, soon. So we can just keep working and [the starting QB] can take control of the offense.”
Mike Evans on Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ QB battle
While Coach Todd Bowles and first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales may prefer to string the situation along while giving both QBs a fair shake, some of the team’s weapons may be growing impatient with the process. There certainly wasn’t any deliberation when Brady was in town.
Related: See where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers place in our starting QB rankings