Best bet for the Buccaneers at quarterback in 2023
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't in a great position heading into the 2023 season. Most outlets tend to think Tampa will have one of the worst teams in the league, and that doesn't bode well for Todd Bowles or his future as the head coach of the team. At the end of the day, we […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't in a great position heading into the 2023 season. Most outlets tend to think Tampa will have one of the worst teams in the league, and that doesn't bode well for Todd Bowles or his future as the head coach of the team.
At the end of the day, we can all assume that the Bucs will have a good defense and good players at their skill positions, but this isn't different from what they had last season.
Even with these strengths and Tom Brady at quarterback last season, the Bucs never really looked great, and that by itself put Bowles on the hot seat.
Assuming Bowles wants to keep his job, there is only one player and one position that can save him. Teams live and die by their quarterbacks. The Bucs are no different.
Based on what we have seen so far, Baker Mayfield looks like he will be the starter in Tampa next year. That is not awesome news for a coach that is trying to save their career.
Mayfield was very similar to another quarterback that played in Tampa; Jameis Winston. If you look at each of their first four seasons in the league, the stats across the board were almost identical in all of the areas that mattered. Year 5 for Winston was a bit of an outlier when look at the system and his career as a whole.
The highs and lows probably aren't something that most Buccaneers fans are looking forward to, but there were some flashes for Mayfield as a player that could be enough to keep Bowles in a safe spot.
2019 was a decent year for Mayfield. 3,563 passing yards for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions is efficient. One has to assume that better offensive weapons in Tampa would help raise these numbers somewhat, but will that even be enough? 2019 for Mayfield still wasn't as good as Tom Brady in 2022, and we already saw that wasn't enough.
There is no other way to say it; the situation is dire. Nothing short of the best season of Baker Mayfield's career will keep the Bucs in a good spot in 2023 and keep Todd Bowles safe. It is a lot to bank on, but at least it is a safer bet than letting it ride with Kyle Trask.
