Have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hinted that Baker Mayfield is ahead in the quarterback competition?
Mayfield and Kyle Trask have gone head-to-head this summer in the hopes of securing the Buccaneers' QB1 job.
The battle to replace Tom Brady will continue into the preseason. Mayfield may have more experience than Trask, but the competition has remained too tough to call.
However, with the Bucs' preseason opener only days away, they may have just dropped a major hint as to where they currently stand.
Baker Mayfield to start first Bucs preseason game vs. Steelers
Both quarterbacks aim to show what they can do in the preseason, and Mayfield is up first.
According to JC Allen of Pewter Report, Mayfield will start the Bucs' opening preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Trask will have to wait until next week's exhibition contest versus the New York Jets to make his first start.
Pewter Report’s @JCAllenNFL is reporting per sources: #Bucs QB Baker Mayfield will start the first preseason game vs. the Steelers. Kyle Trask will then start the second game vs. the Jets. The two have been rotating first-team reps daily through the offseason & training camp.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 7, 2023
Of course, one of them has to start, but does this indicate that Mayfield currently has the edge in the quarterback competition? He gets the first opportunity to make his case for the job in the preseason.
Mayfield has the slight advantage of playing at home. Trask's first start is on the road against the Jets. While the MetLife Stadium atmosphere is unlikely to be as intimidating as it will be in their regular-season opener, it still makes for a tougher audition for Trask.
Mayfield needs to make the most of his opportunity this week versus Pittsburgh. He has made too many mistakes at practice this summer, and continued errors could lead to Trask winning the job ahead of him.
It will be interesting to see how the Bucs split the snaps between the two quarterbacks, but it's Mayfield who will get the first opportunity to start in the preseason this week.