Former NFL player Rob Gronkowski. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Gronkowski shares bold Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield predictions

By Zac Wassink | Last updated May 17, 2023 3:24 PM ET

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski has addressed the upcoming quarterback competition involving free-agency signing Baker Mayfield and 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask.

As shared by the JoeBucsFan website, Gronkowski explained during Wednesday's edition of the "Up and Adams" FanDuel TV program he believes Mayfield will win the starting job this summer.

"I think he will be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Bucs going into the season," Gronkowski said of Mayfield. "The only way I can see the Bucs pulling him is if he just absolutely plays horrendous, which I don’t think he will."

Gronkowski noted that Trask was able to somewhat "relax" over his first two NFL seasons knowing he wouldn't play over living legend Tom Brady, who retired this past February. Gronkowski also said that Mayfield "doesn’t need to be a hero" and instead should focus on repeating the best of his performances during his cup-of-coffee stint with the Los Angeles Rams late last season.

"Protect the ball, and don't turn it over, and he will succeed. And the Tampa Bay Bucs will be going to the playoffs," Gronkowski added about Mayfield.

Last season it was "Baker-mania" in LA.

This season, @RobGronkowski sees the QB captaining the Bucs ship

: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/zDxLkGW7ys
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 17, 2023

Across five games and four starts with the Rams, Mayfield completed 82-of-129 passes for 850 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. The 28-year-old is 1-1 in his two career playoff starts, both of which happened with the Cleveland Browns in January 2021.

The 2022 Buccaneers won the NFC South title with a record of 8-9 even though they lacked elite performances from Brady and the rest of the offense for multiple reasons throughout the campaign. According to ESPN stats, Brady ended the regular season ranked 18th among qualified players with a 52.5 adjusted QBR, his worst-ever mark in that category (beginning with 2006).

As for Gronkowski, he was teammates with Trask during the 2021 season and presumably has spoken with Brady about the 25-year-old over the past 12 months or so. It sure sounds like Gronk has reasons to believe things will have to go horribly wrong with Mayfield under center for Trask to see the field during meaningful games this coming fall.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

More must-reads: