It's official: Baker Mayfield will start at quarterback in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.
Mayfield is battling with Kyle Trask for the Bucs' starting job this summer, a competition that could go down to the wire.
The Bucs are yet to decide which quarterback to start with in the regular season, listing both as part of the first team in their latest depth chart.
Mayfield has been sloppy with the football at training camp, throwing several interceptions, allowing Trask to close the gap. Now, the Bucs' decision could go either way. Preseason could provide an answer.
Todd Bowles confirms Baker Mayfield will start Buccaneers preseason opener
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Mayfield will start the preseason opener against Pittsburgh, but Trask will get the opportunity next week versus the New York Jets.
Bowles confirms that Baker Mayfield will start Friday’s preseason opener vs. Steelers, while Kyle Trask will start next week at Jets. Said there wasn’t a ton of thought into who goes first. @JCAllenNFL was first on Mayfield news.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 9, 2023
It sounds like both quarterbacks will get an equal opportunity during the preseason. Mayfield gets the first chance to start, but they will switch to Trask in the second game.
While it's unlikely that Mayfield will win the QB1 job in the preseason opener, he could certainly go a long way to losing it. If Mayfield struggles against the Steelers with a couple of turnovers, it could significantly hurt his stock.
What's unclear is how long Mayfield will play in the game and when they will turn to Trask.
It would make sense to give both quarterbacks plenty of time in their respective preseason starts, so it won't be surprising if Mayfield is out there for a while on Friday against the Steelers.
It's far from ideal still figuring out the QB1. But preseason could help the Bucs finally make a decision on whether Mayfield or Trask should start in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.