The Buccaneers’ quarterback competition is officially over.
Head coach Todd Bowles named Baker Mayfield the team’s starter in his Tuesday press conference — in response to a question asking if the competition was close.
“Baker’s our starting quarterback,” Bowles said. “Kyle’s No. 2.”
What were the determining factors?
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Bowles said. “I can’t sit up here and give you every detail. We go through minicamp, training camp, and OTAs, and we love everything Kyle has done. And he’s gotten leaps and bounds better than he has in the spring and he’s continuing to get better and we’re excited about him.
“Baker’s our guy right now — experience-wise and understanding the playbook just a little bit better. But Kyle’s on the come [up]. But we like both guys. We like where we’re at. Baker’s the [No.] 1, Kyle’s [No.] 2.”
Bowles said he notified the quarterbacks on Tuesday morning of his decision, noting Trask took the news well.
“Me and Kyle have a very good relationship,” Bowles said. “We talk all the time. Very honest to where we are with our relationship. I’m very excited about what he’s done and where he’s headed. And he needs to be ready to play at any time because if Baker goes down, he’ll be the guy.”
Bowles said he’s planning to have Mayfield and the starters play the first half against the Ravens in Saturday’s preseason finale with Trask and the second-team unit playing the third and fourth quarters.
The No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, Mayfield is now QB1 for a second NFC South team in the last two years. He went 1-5 as a starter for the Panthers last year, completing 57.8 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions in seven total appearances.
After Carolina released Mayfield, he was claimed off waivers by the Rams and appeared in five games with four starts. Though he didn’t start his first game with the club, he engineered a stunning comeback against the Raiders on Thursday Night Football. He finished his five L.A. games with a 63.6 percent completion rate, 850 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.