Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield Named Tampa Bay's Starting Quarterback Ahead of Kyle Trask

Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets

(Photo : Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - Baker Mayfield (#6) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks off the field after the preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on August 19, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have named their starting quarterback ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

Former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield will run the show in Tampa Bay, beating out 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask.

Buccaneers name Baker Mayfield starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/Q1U7AantzV
— NFL (@NFL) August 22, 2023

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles confirmed the news on Tuesday ahead of their final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday at their home in Raymond James Stadium.

"Baker's our starting quarterback, Kyle's our No. 2," Bowles said.

The 59-year-old coach still praised Trask, saying that he has gotten leaps and bounds better than he was in the spring and is continuing to improve.

However, Mayfield is the better choice right now in terms of experience and understanding the playbook.

Baker Mayfield has enormous shoes to fill

The 28-year-old will replace Tom Brady as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback after the seven-time Super Bowl champion concluded his illustrious NFL career at the end of last season.

Mayfield was not surprised by the Buccaneers' decision to make him a starter.

"I expect to be the starter. I know how talented I am. I know what type of leader I am," he said.

The Cleveland Browns selected Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, where he spent the first four seasons of his career.

The Browns dealt him to the Carolina Panthers before the 2022 season, and he played seven games for the team until he was traded again in the middle of the campaign to the Los Angeles Rams.