Should I Start Baker Mayfield?

Monday, August 17, 8:02 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that quarterback Baker Mayfield will play in the team's second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. It will be a deviation from last year, when Mayfield didn't see any preseason action at all. Mayfield made headlines at the start of training camp when he had some negative things to say about the organization after they didn't seem too interested in getting a contract extension done with him before the start of camp. The 31-year-old former first overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018 from Oklahoma made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in Tampa in 2023 and 2024, but he battled through injuries for most of last year and saw his numbers regress, finishing with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 starts to miss the postseason. In a new offense run by coordinator Zac Robinson, Mayfield and the Bucs are looking to bounce back, but it won't be easy without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans. Going into his ninth year in the NFL, Mayfield's fantasy stock is down as a low-end QB2 with minimal upside.