New Buccaneers OC calls QB battle 'win-win'
Baker Mayfield won the starting job over Kyle Trask, but both Tampa Bay Buccaneers QBs are set up for success.
New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales described how the battle went back-and-forth through training camp and preseason, and while the final decision was "really challenging," everything played out exactly as planned.
According to Canales, third-year pro Trask impressed as "the real deal" midway through camp, while Mayfield, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason, "felt the heat" and "wasn't quite sharp."
Mayfield, known for having a "chip on his shoulder," turned things around in the first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers — completing eight of nine passes for 63 yards, one touchdown and a 132.9 rating.
Just when the Bucs felt "settled in" on Mayfield as QB1, Trask stepped up in a 13-6 preseason win over the New York Jets, passing for 218 yards and a TD — which impressed four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and puzzled Tampa Bay decision-makers.
Mayfield will be the starter, as he should. The former Heisman winner has six seasons of high-pressure experience and proved he can lead drives, connect with teammates and fit the mold of Tampa Bay's offense.
In not giving him the job right away, the hard-fought competition only made Mayfield, Trask and the organization better.
"[Trask] earned a lot of respect, in the locker room, on the coaching staff, in the fan base," Canales said.
Should Mayfield not pan out, Trask has been training like a starter for months and will be ready to go when called upon. The former University of Florida star is comfortable with the offense and knows firsthand what a Tom Brady-esque team looks like.
This was Canales' plan since the former Seahawks QBs coach joined the team in February. It's the same tactic he used to orchestrate Seattle's battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock last year — which resulted in a 9-8 record, playoff birth and Smith's Comeback Player of the Year Award.
"It's a win-win when you create a competition," Canales said in his initial Tampa Bay press conference.
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