BREAKING: Todd Bowles Announces Buccaneers' Decision At Quarterback For 2023 Season

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been engulfed in a quarterback battle since earlier this year with veteran Baker Mayfield and former second-round pick Kyle Trask grappling to replace Tom Brady under center.

Following Mini-Camps, OTAs, two preseason games, and the majority of training camp, the Buccaneers have finally found their man. On Tuesday morning, head coach Todd Bowles announced that Mayfield will begin the 2023 season as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback.

This doesn't really come as much of a surprise. It felt as though the former No. 1 overall pick had a leg up throughout this competition and that it would take a serious push from Trask to unseat him. After all, Mayfield didn't agree to a one-year, prove-it deal with the Buccaneers for no reason.

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

“There’s a lot that goes into it. I can't sit up here and give you every detail. We go through training camp and OTAs and we love everything Kyle [Trask] has done," Bowles continued. "He’s gotten leaps and bounds better and he has in the spring and he's continuing to get better. We're excited about Baker. We like where we’re at right now. experience wise and his understanding the playbook just a little bit better.”

Mayfield is coming off a tumultuous year where he was traded to the Carolina Panthers after the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson. He struggled with the Panthers as former head coach Matt Rhule was ultimately fired. Mayfield finished off the season with the Los Angeles Rams, reminding everyone that he's still a talented quarterback who can guide a team to success at the NFL level.

"Coach Bowles came up to me this morning and he told me that he had talked to Kyle already," Mayfield said when discussing when he was told about the decision. "He just informed me that they were going to roll with me and yeah, just continue making smart decisions and go from there. Now I've just got to lead like I know how and the real thing is right around the corner so it's an exciting time."

After all, it's only been a couple of years since Mayfield helped drive the Browns to an 11-5 record and a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round. Cleveland came up just short against the Kansas City Chiefs the following week, the team who would go on to lose Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mayfield completed 62.8% of his passes for 3,563 yards with 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions that season, showing an ability to take care of the ball at a high level. That will be the type of performance that Tampa Bay needs out of him this season behind a shifting offensive line and plenty of youth at the skill positions.

Entering his sixth year in the NFL, Mayfield has totaled 16,288 passing yards with 102 touchdowns to 64 interceptions in his career.

While Mayfield will get the first nod to replace Tom Brady, don't count out a potential change to Trask if he struggles. The third-year quarterback has shown flashes but they are marred by inconsistency.

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