Bucs HC Todd Bowles reveals reason behind benching Baker Mayfield for Steelers preseason game

Baker Mayfield will be sitting out vs Steelers, per Todd Bowles
Baker Mayfield will be sitting out vs Steelers, per Todd Bowles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles has confirmed that starting quarterback Baker Mayfield will not play in the team's second preseason game on Saturday after Thursday's joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ad

Mayfield remained focused during Thursday's joint session, making big plays and leading the Bucs offense with accuracy while also making connections with receivers Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and Emeka Egbuka.

After the practice, NFL beat reporter Rick Stroud posted on X that the Bucs will rest their starting quarterback after the hard work he showed in practice.

“After reviewing the tape of today’s practice, Todd Bowles just told me he believes Baker Mayfield played so well today in the joint workout with the Steelers he will NOT play in Saturday night’s game,” Stroud posted.
Ad

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Ad

With this update, Bowles has changed his initial plan on Thursday, as he had earlier informed Stroud that all Buccaneers offensive starters except Evans would play. It seems the coach changed his mind that after reviewing the film of the combined practice.

Bowles acknowledged that Mayfield's performance on Thursday was so outstanding that playing him on the road against the Steelers on Saturday night would practically be pointless.

Baker Mayfield will remain fit and fresh while allowing his backups to get crucial preseason experience, as he is now expected to miss a second consecutive preseason game. He had his best season in pro football last year, passing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He hopes to improve on that performance in 2025.

Ad

As the Bucs look to win the NFC South for the fifth straight season, it is crucial that they protect their key players from harm's way ahead of the season.

Who will start for the Buccaneers in Baker Mayfield's place against the Steelers?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' plan to sit Baker Mayfield for the second consecutive preseason game shows how confident they are in the star quarterback's ability to play in the regular season with preseason reps.

Ad

Kyle Trask played with great efficiency in last week's preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. He is expected to start Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he would like to put on another impressive performance to establish himself as Mayfield's official backup. Conor Bazelak will also likely see a number of snaps for a second consecutive game.

Trask completed 12 of 16 passes for 129 yards against the Titans while Bazelak registered six completions for 48 yards.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fans! Check out the latest Tampa Bay Schedule and dive into the Tampa Bay Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications