There’s one more quarterback situation settled. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers named Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback on Tuesday following a surprisingly competitive training camp battle with Kyle Trask — meaning they’re picking Mayfield as the next Buccaneers quarterback to lose a game to the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans will first host the Bucs in Week 4 this season, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 1. That’s the same game which star running back Alvin Kamara will return from suspension, which isn’t a great sign for Tampa Bay’s chances of winning.
Mayfield has only played the Saints once before, with his Carolina Panthers frustrating the Jameis Winston-led New Orleans offense in a game where Mayfield went 12-of-25 for just 170 passing yards, losing 22 yards on 3 sacks. He was benched a few weeks later and ended the season on the Los Angeles Rams, who chose to not re-sign him in the spring.
He might be a good pick to help the Buccaneers capsize their pirate ship and make a run at the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, eyeing a young quarterback prospect like Caleb Williams (USC) or Drake Maye (North Carolina). It’s a bold approach, but it’s worth remembering how it didn’t work out for the Bucs when they went all-in on tanking to get Winston. It’s also the same slot Mayfield was drafted himself not too long ago.
