The backup quarterback position has been a weakness for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past few seasons.
Last season, the spot was held by veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who looked like a shell of himself in his limited playing time.
The two seasons before that, Kyle Trask, who has never started an NFL game, served as the backup.
Fortunately, the backup quarterback spot ultimately proved to be a nonfactor as Baker Mayfield started every game in his first three seasons with the team. But Tampa Bay has been playing with fire.
While they’ve been lucky to avoid their starting quarterback missing any time, disaster can strike at any moment. It’s a major liability to not have a backup quarterback capable of going out and winning games if Mayfield goes down.
The Bucs feel they’ve finally upgraded the backup quarterback this offseason by signing Jake Browning, but not everyone shares that confidence.
CBS Sports lacks confidence in Bucs backup QB Jake Browning
CBS Sports analysts Emory Hunt and John Breech teamed up to rank every quarterback room in the NFL, separated by conference.
We tend to talk depth w/regards to every position EXCEPT the QB, where we only focus on the starter.
— Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) June 26, 2026
Since ‘20, we’ve seen teams need a reserve to step in & play
I looked at each QB room in the #NFL & ranked them within their respective conference 👇🏾https://t.co/mEdkuB3hXi
The Bucs ranked at No. 15 in the NFC, second-worst in the entire conference. Backup quarterback Jake Browning is a huge reason for the Bucs ranking in the cellar.
“[Browning] played so poorly that the Bengals said, ‘Alright, well, we’re done with you and we’re going to trade for Joe Flacco. So that’s the Buccaneers’ backup quarterback situation right now,” Breech said.
Browning led the Bengals to an 0-3 record in relief of Joe Burrow last season, throwing for six touchdowns and eight interceptions. As Breech pointed out, after losing all three games with Browning at the helm, the team traded for a 40-year-old Joe Flacco in hopes of salvaging their season.
“The Bucs really have an issue with their reserve quarterback situation,” Hunt said. “I like [Browning’s] moxie but he turns the ball over at a high clip.”
What the CBS Sports duo didn’t mention is that while he has the inside track, Browning isn’t necessarily guaranteed to be the backup quarterback.
The Bucs are high on Connor Bazelak, who signed as an undrafted free agent last offseason and spent his rookie year on the practice squad. If he can show progress in his development, the team could be tempted to keep him around as their No. 2 option.
They also brought in another option this offseason in undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels. The organization is seemingly in love with Daniels, with several coaches and even general manager Jason Licht gushing about the young quarterback. Daniels is a raw, developmental prospect, but the team is going to give him every opportunity to succeed.
Licht said that the Bucs would hold a legit competition throughout the offseason for the backup quarterback job, so while the frontrunner Browning might not be the most inspiring option, he’s far from the only option in Tampa Bay.
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