The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a great ride with Tom Brady behind center, but it was short-lived.
The legendary quarterback led them to a Super Bowl win in his first season with the organization but failed to replicate that success in the following campaigns.
Now, with Bruce Arians no longer as their coach and Brady retiring for good this time, the Bucs might enter a transition era that might not be as pretty or successful as the past three years were.
And, of course, it’ll all start with their quarterback situation, as Kyle Trask is currently their only QB under contract.
With that in mind, NFL insider Rick Stroud confirmed that Baker Mayfield could be a realistic option for the Buccaneers, as he’s got some ties to HC Todd Bowles and was on the team’s shortlist during Brady’s first retirement.
With Brady retired, Rick Stroud (@NFLStroud) discusses which QB the #Buccaneers could set their sights on 👀 #GoBucks
For Rick's full appearance: https://t.co/ed41amWTwU pic.twitter.com/d0IbqDy17D
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 2, 2023
Mayfield had several ups and downs during his days with the Cleveland Browns.
But to be fair, he did play under several offensive coordinators and still managed to lead the team to the playoffs once.
His tenure with the Carolina Panthers was nothing short of a disaster.
But then again, no one looked good under Matt Rhule, and he did take a big step forward once he joined Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams for the final stretch of the season.
Mayfield may not be the most popular guy in the league, and he’s by no means the star some thought he’d be when he was taken first overall.
But he was also judged by the massive contract he was signed to, which will no longer be the case going forward.
He’s just 27 years old and has shown glimpses of great play every now and then, so they could definitely do a lot worse than him this offseason.
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