The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing with fire by failing to find a reliable insurance option to back up Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield plays a physical brand of football for the quarterback position, and he has dealt with injuries throughout the course of his career. Tampa Bay has been extremely fortunate that Mayfield has started all 51 games over his three seasons with the team, but a playoff caliber team needs to have a contingency plan. Without a viable backup, an injury at quarterback could effectively turn a promising season into a lost cause.
Mayfield played through multiple injuries in 2025. He suffered a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing arm Week 12 against the Rams and also dealt with lingering injuries to his throwing shoulder, bicep, and knee.
The team’s backup was Teddy Bridgewater, who had been retired and working as a high school football coach before coming out of retirement to serve as Tampa Bay’s No. 2 quarterback. By that point, Bridgewater was well past his prime and could not be relied upon to manage games if forced into the starting role. His only game action came against the Rams following Mayfield’s injury in Week 12, and he looked far from a starting-caliber quarterback.
The front office needs to be proactive and land a backup that can keep the Buccaneers afloat if disaster strikes at the quarterback position.
3 free agent quarterbacks Buccaneers should target to back up Baker Mayfield
Kirk Cousins
There will be several intriguing options available for the Buccaneers this offseason to strengthen the quarterback room, but there is no better fit than Kirk Cousins, who played for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson with the Atlanta Falcons. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Atlanta is planning to cut Cousins this offseason, and if he fails to land a starting job elsewhere, there is no better fit for him as a backup than Tampa Bay.
Cousins proved in 2025 that he can step in as a high-end backup. After Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went down with a season-ending injury, Cousins stepped in and went 5-3 in relief. Bucs fans would prefer to forget, but Cousins went 30-for-44 with 373 yards and three touchdowns against Tampa Bay in a 29-28 Falcons win.
He brings years' worth of starting experience and knowledge of Robinson's scheme which would provide crucial security for Tampa Bay at the quarterback position and could pay dividends for Mayfield as he learns the system.
Mitchell Trubisky
Mitch Trubisky has served as a reliable backup for the Buffalo Bills over the last few seasons. In 2025, he got significant playing time in only one game, and he impressed going 22-for-29 with 259 yards and four touchdowns.
He proved he can still effectively play quarterback in the NFL at a more than serviceable level. He'll likely command a robust market this offseason from teams wanting him as a backup or bridge option, and Buffalo would surely love to keep him behind Josh Allen, but it's an option worth exploring for Tampa Bay that would significantly upgrade the quarterback room.
Joe Flacco
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Bengals have a high interest in keeping Joe Flacco on the roster, and they'll be offering him a contract extension.
It's unlikely that the Bucs could pry him away from Cincinnati as he's already built a strong rapport in that locker room and even earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as a Bengal. The Bengals understand the importance of a high-quality backup option, as Joe Burrow has proven to be injury prone throughout the course of his career, and Flacco is a steady veteran presence that can keep the offense afloat.
Still, the Bucs should at least make the call. Flacco threw for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions for the Bengals in 2025. In his six starts, the Bengals averaged 26.8 points per game, which would rank ninth in the NFL over the full season. In comparison, the Buccaneers scored 22.4 points per game in 2025.