The Bucs may already be dealing with a preseason quarterback problem.
Backup quarterback Jake Browning left Tuesday’s joint practice with the Jets after what appeared to be a lower back injury, according to Pewter Report’s Matt Matera, who was on the scene in Florham Park, New Jersey. Browning was running the offense when the play broke down, then scrambled left out of the pocket. After trying to dodge a pair of Jets defenders nearby, he suddenly pulled up and started walking gingerly.
Matera reported that Browning appeared to try stretching the area right away. Soon after, second-year quarterback Connor Bazelak stepped in for him, while Browning headed inside with trainers for further evaluation.
The timing matters because Friday night’s preseason opener against the Jets could already feature a heavily managed quarterback plan from Todd Bowles. The Bucs coach hasn’t shared exactly how he’ll handle player usage, but he usually keeps starters out of the preseason opener. Last preseason, Bowles didn’t play Baker Mayfield at all in the opener and used the starters only once, at Pittsburgh in the second week of the preseason, for just a few series.
That cautious approach came with a reminder attached. In that Pittsburgh game, starting wide receiver Jalen McMillan suffered a serious neck injury and missed most of the season. That could make Bowles even more reluctant to put key players on the field early.
If Browning can’t go Friday and Mayfield sits as well, the Bucs would be left to split the work between Bazelak and Jalon Daniels, the undrafted free agent who has impressed the team. That could mean Bazelak handles the first half and Daniels the second, or Bowles and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson could divide the snaps by series or by quarter.
Tampa Bay had wanted to use the preseason to get a look at Browning, a veteran newcomer who spent the last few seasons in Cincinnati backing up Joe Burrow. Browning signed a one-year deal and is expected to be Mayfield’s backup this season, while Bazelak and Daniels compete for the QB3 spot on the practice squad.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera are set to recap Tuesday’s joint practice on the Pewter Report Podcast at 8:00 p.m. ET on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.
In Other News...
Bucs Joint Practice Turned Ugly And Luke Goedeke Is Central
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen a team before the games start counting, but the Buccaneers and Jets managed to turn one into a full-on dustup. Tempers flared on the field between both sides during the session, with multiple scuffles breaking out as the two teams worked through camp reps and got a little too comfortable with the physical edge that often comes with August.
Luke Goedeke wound up right in the middle of the mess after a Jets interception by safety Jairus Monroe sparked a post-play confrontation, and another altercation later involving Jets defensive tackle Darrell Jackson and a Buccaneers offensive lineman pushed things far enough that the teams scrapped their second scheduled joint practice. For Tampa Bay, the episode leaves the usual training camp takeaway hanging over everything else: the line between competitive and chaotic got crossed quickly, and the details of how the Bucs handle the fallout will matter just as much as the next rep. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Depth Chart Just Sparked A Real Defensive Competition Debate
The Buccaneers first official depth chart ahead of their preseason opener against the Jets offered an early look at how the defense is being sorted out, and it came with a few eyebrow-raisers. First-round rookie Rueben Bain Jr. is the lone rookie listed with a starting spot, while Vita Vea remains penciled in as the starting nose tackle even after missing practices, a reminder that these early charts can say as much about expectations as they do about current availability.
SirVocea Dennis also shows up as the starting middle linebacker, a noteworthy call in a camp where Josiah Trotter has drawn attention with more splash plays. The secondary has its own intrigue, with Benjamin Morrison sitting as a second-string cornerback despite limited practice time because of injury, and J.J. Roberts listed behind the starters at safety even though he has not been on the field because of injury. The chart does not settle the competition, but it does make clear that several jobs remain very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]