Baker Mayfield will not take the field when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers open their preseason Friday against the New York Jets.
That decision comes after 10 days of training camp and a joint practice with the Jets on Tuesday, with the Bucs now moving into game action while still trying to sort out how much work their key players will get. Preseason games matter most for the rookies and other young players trying to make their case, which means Tampa Bay also has to make sure the pieces around them are functional enough to make those evaluations count.
The biggest question hanging over Friday had been the quarterback plan. Todd Bowles had to weigh whether to use his starter, especially after backup Jake Browning appeared to injure his back on the first day of joint training camp. Browning was expected to start against the Jets, but his status is now in jeopardy, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.
“Bucs No. 2 QB Jake Browning appeared to injure his back.
Todd Bowles had no update but Browning was expected to start Friday vs Jets. He said Baker Mayfield will not play.”
For Tampa Bay, keeping Mayfield out fits the usual preseason logic. He’s the starter, and unless a quarterback pushes to get game reps, it would be unusual to see him in the first exhibition of the year.
Still, his preseason usage remains worth watching. Last year, Mayfield did not play at all in the preseason. He had been lined up to appear in the second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Bowles changed course at the last minute and kept him on the sideline.
A similar outcome could happen again this year. If Browning can’t go Friday, the Bucs are expected to split the reps between Jalon Daniels and Connor Bazelak.
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