NFL YouTuber raises questions on Baker Mayfield amid Buccaneers QB1 conundrum
Baker Mayfield is in a turning point in his career. The former Cleveland Brown had a poor 2022 marked by a release from the Carolina Panthers that saw him fail to elevate the Los Angeles Rams on being claimed off waivers by the then-defending Super Bowl champions.
Now he's looking to revitalize the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who're still reeling from losing Tom Brady to retirement. However, according to YouTuber Mikerophone, it may not happen, and Mayfield will be to blame:
"Now I don't want to automatically say this is doom and gloom for Baker Mayfield, because what I think is most likely to happen is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will let (him) start, and then if he's performing horribly, then they'll put in Kyle Trask. But regardless, I don't think I've seen a quarterback succeed in this type of situation."
He continued:
"You could make an excuse for each and every situation Baker Mayfield hasn't been successful in. Cleveland Browns - he had a shoulder injury. Carolina Panthers - he was traded (there) in mid-to-late July, not enough time to learn the playbook, head coach (Matt Rhule) ended up getting fired (midseason), no stability. LA Rams - same situation, plus he was playing with bench players.
"But now you're with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - a very solid offensive line, stable of wide receivers, and defense. If you're not able to make it work, you can't really place the blame on anyone but yourself."
Baker Mayfield acknowledges struggles in Buccaneers' QB1 competition
One person who recognizes that Baker Mayfield needs to do more to justify his case for being Tampa Bay's starter is none other than Mayfield himself.
In a recent camp report, the 2017 Heisman winner threw seven interceptions in nine sessions, further strengthening Colin Cowherd's claim that he should retire. At the team's camp on Thursday, he acknowledged his struggles:
“The two practices (prior to today) were not my best by any means. We looked at it; footwork was a little off. Just being out of rhythm. Just getting back to that, it was a lot better for me today. ... Today was better than the previous two.”
The Buccaneers begin their preseason against the Steelers on Friday, Aug. 11, so Mayfield still has time to beat Kyle Trask for the starting job.