For Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans wondering when the team will make an official decision on who will be their next starting quarterback, it’s going to be a little while longer.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the midst of a major change on offense. After three seasons with NFL legend Tom Brady running the O, the future Hall-of-Famer announced his retirement from the league in February.
Also Read: 2023 NFL Power Rankings – Evaluating all 32 teams after the NFL Draft
Following Brady’s decision the Buccaneers did not jump at making a move for an established star quarterback. Instead, they stayed pat and it looked like 2022 second-round pick Kyle Trask was in line to fill the shoes of the football icon in 2023. However, that changed when they decided to sign former first-overall NFL Draft selection Baker Mayfield in March.
Despite failing in starting opportunities with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, the expectation is that Mayfield is likely to land the top spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the start of the season.
However, the team has given no indication of when they might officially announce that likelihood. But on Thursday, their head coach revealed when the announcement will finally arrive.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting QB decision won’t come until August
During a conversation with the Associated Press, head coach Todd Bowles explained why the starting quarterback won’t be made official until “sometime during [training] camp or right after.”
“It’s still a competition right now. We’re not going to award (anybody) in shorts and T-shirts. In any competition, there’s waiting involved. You have to see who wins.”
– Todd Bowles
Training camps for most NFL teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t start until the end of July. The final game of the preseason is on August 26, meaning Mayfield or Trask won’t be publicly handed the keys to the offense until at least mid-August.”