Buccaneers offer hint about leader in Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask competition

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles finally offered a hint about who is leading the quarterback competition involving free-agency signing Baker Mayfield and 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask. 

Per Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' website, Bowles officially confirmed Wednesday that Mayfield will start the club's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Friday night. Bowles added he is sticking to the plan he revealed Tuesday and giving Trask the start at the New York Jets on Aug. 19. 

"We'll just go in and switch them out," Bowles explained while insisting there is no real significance behind Mayfield serving as a QB1 against an opposing defense ahead of Trask. "It just happened to be [Mayfield's] turn."

Not everybody is buying what Bowles tried to sell on Wednesday. 

"It means something that Mayfield gets the first starting nod," the JoeBucsFan website mentioned. In a different piece, JoeBucsFan noted that CBS Sports and SiriusXM NFL Radio personality Leger Douzable said Tuesday he's "certain Bowles wants to name a starter right after the Bucs' second preseason game" held two Saturdays from now. 

Douzable played under Bowles when the latter served as head coach of the Jets. 

Meanwhile, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said Wednesday that the Buccaneers "likely" will make a decision about the starting job ahead of the team's final preseason contest.  

Everyone involved is working to learn the system installed by new Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales, and Trask seemingly had narrowed what was thought last month to be a significant gap in the quarterback battle until it was learned that Mayfield impressed during Tuesday's practice. 

Even if Bowles names his Week 1 starter before the preseason finale versus the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 26, that signal-caller could spend his first four regular-season games fighting to hold onto the job beyond Oct. 1. The Buccaneers enter their bye after the Week 4 matchup at the New Orleans Saints and, theoretically, could use that extra time to get the club's Week 1 backup ready to face the Detroit Lions in Week 6 on Oct. 15.