Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales has warned Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask they must "respect" the process of battling to become Tom Brady's replacement.
The Bucs are entering their first season without star quarterback Brady. The NFL legend officially confirmed his retirement from the sport at the end of last season after three years with the Florida franchise.
Trask has been with the Bucs since he was drafted in 2021 in the second round with the 64th overall pick. The 25-year-old has played just one game for the NFC South franchise, and will hope to have a better chance of playing this coming season.
But Mayfield was signed during the off-season, and the duo will be competing for the starting QB spot in 2023. Canales recently spoke about Trask and how he will have learnt a lot from being the understudy to Brady over the last couple of years. However, the need to "respect" the process was the key theme as Canales declared he "owes it to both" to find the best man for the job by the time the season begins.
“I think it’s partly just respecting the team, respecting what’s best for everyone, and then also respecting Kyle’s process,” Canales told the No Days Off podcast, via JoeBucsFan.com .
“You know, he comes in as the second-round pick with high hopes. Obviously, what a great thing, Tom Brady’s been here, so he’s been able to learn from him. But at the same time he’s worked really hard to try to have an opportunity to show what he can do.”
Canales also spoke directly about Mayfield, who will be a new addition to the Bucs roster for the 2023 regular season. After being drafted with the number one overall pick in 2018 by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield has since had rather short stints with the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams.
Mayfield was traded to the Panthers in July last year, but it wasn’t long before he would be requesting an exit. By December, the 28-year-old was granted his wish and traded to the Rams, but would only last a few months in California before signing for the Bucs from free agency.
“On the flip side, too, I think Baker, would he love to be named the starter?” Canales said. “I’m sure. But Baker also knows this is his road back, too.
“From Cleveland to Carolina and L.A., you know, he’s been told, ‘No,’ a couple of times.
“And so for him to be able to come out here to win the team over in his own right, to perform and to show them that he can be the calibre quarterback that he believes he can be, I think I owe it to both of them and to the team to put the best guy out there.”
