It looks like Baker Mayfield will be first up to replace Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This breaking news is from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. He tweeted: “The Bucs are finalizing a deal with former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, per sources. Mayfield finished his fifth NFL season strong after landing with the Rams. Now he gets a chance to take over for Tom Brady in Tampa, and is still only 27.”
The NFL Network then added to its report, saying Mayfield’s deal is for one year and worth $8.5 million.
Baker Mayfield was on three rosters in 2022. The one-time top NFL draft pick (2018) started with the Cleveland Browns. But he requested a trade when the Browns pursued Deshaun Watson. That’s how Mayfield ended up with Carolina. However, Mayfield suffered a high ankle sprain and his starting job. He asked the Panthers to release him.
The former Heisman winner from the Oklahoma Sooners then showed his ability as a quick offensive study. The Rams signed him in December. And within two days, Mayfield started for LA against the Raiders. He led the Rams on a 98-yard, game-winning drive with no timeouts to clinch the victory.
Tampa is in need of a quarterback with any sort of experience, so Mayfield checks the boxes. Tom Brady retired on Feb. 1. And although there are tiny rumors he may return to the league, it won’t be as the Bucs quarterback. That left Tampa with Kyle Trask, who has one career start.
Now, the Bucs will have two Texans battling for the top of the QB depth chart. Baker Mayfield grew up in Austin, while Trask is from Manvel, a town near the Gulf Coast. Mayfield was a high school star, but was lightly recruited. Trask played behind a highly-touted quarterback in D’Eriq King, but he still received a scholarship to Florida.
While Mayfield won the Heisman in 2017 with the Sooners, Trask was a Heisman finalist in 2020. The Bucs selected him with their second-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Former coach Bruce Arians, who works as a Bucs consultant, recently said that he likes Trask’s talent. But he thought the Bucs should also explore other options. And that option appears to be Mayfield.