Will Baker Mayfield Play In The Preseason?
August 6th, 2024
Interesting chatter today out of Charlotte, where former Bucs playcaller turned Panthers head coach Dave Canales said his starting quarterback won’t play in the preseason opener.
And Canales was non-commital about QB Bryce Young playing at all in August.
Canales was asked about playing Baker Mayfield in preseason last year with the Bucs, and Canales explained he had to because Mayfield was in a competition with Kyle Trask.
Enter new Bucs playcaller Liam Coen, who is from the heralded Sean McVay school of coaching. For most of his tenure with the Rams, McVay wouldn’t play his key starters in preseason. Even some key backups were grounded.
Coen watched over that philosophy and saw how well it worked.
This year, the Bucs increased their joint practices/scrimmages against live opponents — two next week in Jacksonville and a week later for two in Tampa against the Dolphins. Last year, the Bucs had just one joint practice against the Jets in New Jersey. (The Jets stunned the Bucs and cancelled the second one.)
If those joint sessions all go well, Joe thinks there’s a solid chance Mayfield will sit out the preseason. The Bucs have nearly 10 times the investment in Mayfield compared to last year, and they might choose to protect it.
One X factor could be rookie center Graham Barton, whose snaps have been shaky. Todd Bowles might want to see what that looks like when pressure is ramped up under the preseason lights.
August 6th, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Jose appears to be vacillating on whether preseason is worthless or not. While the play during the games I think has value for many of the players, the outcomes of each game certainly are worthless. If I remember correctly, the Redskins during each of their three Super Bowl championship seasons (80s/90s) went 0-4 in the preseason.
August 6th, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Just waiting on the day that the NFL decides to merge pre-season games and joint practices to form a new ‘pre-season’. Spent my 23 years on this earth trying to figure out the purpose of the preseason.
August 6th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
Sparingly at most. Lets see the backups!
August 6th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Agree with Biff, sparingly at most. Allow the backups to play and possibly still be in competition as Baker’s number one backup.
August 6th, 2024 at 1:37 pm
With all the talk of the new and good culture around the team, I thought I would remind the Bucs fans of the time way back when the coach gifted the players body scrubs and suggested it was necessary that they be used. That’s a fact jack !
August 6th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
I dunno… maybe trying to turn career-long guards and tackles into centers isn’t the brightest idea?
August 6th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
All the starters should play some considering how slow they started the season on Offense. The more reps the better
August 6th, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Don’t play the starters at all. There is no reason to risk injury to them.
August 6th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
Hmmmm. Even Brady played a couple series in preseason. Whatever.
Watching Mike Glennon II, Wolford the Pick Six Machine, a Cocktail Waitress and a line operator at QB sounds awesome. Can’t wait.
Preseason games can be worthless if you make them worthless.
August 6th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
@ Let Them Eat Bake…..
It’s not a crazy idea. I mean I can think of a guy who played for the Bucs that played defense in High School, OT and OG in college. Made some good money in the NFL as a center. His name would be Ryan Jensen
August 6th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
It’s a new offense. Put Baker out there for a series and see how he does.
August 6th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
With the 2 joint practices it’s very possible Baker sits out the preseason. I was making this point on another site a few days back and everyone said I was crazy.
Why did the Bucs sign UDFA QB Zack Annexstadas QB Zack Annexstadas as a camp arm when he has been injured. How does this help? Camp arm and 4th Qb are the guys you put in late preseason games to ensure you Qbs don’t get injured. Are they thinking that this guy is so talented they can sneak him on the practice squad? I wish the media would ask what the Bucs were thinking.
August 6th, 2024 at 2:57 pm
Historically the Bucs have played the veterans 1 or 2 series in the 1st two preseason games, somewhat more in the 3rd game, and usually not at all in the 4th preseason game. Now all of a sudden we’re not gonna play the veterans at all because they might get hurt? Horsepuckey
Every game during the season is just as critical as every other game (a win is a win & a loss is a loss … duh). Game 1 is just as important as Game 17. A big hit on our starting offense last season was that we started slow (and that’s being kind to them). Not hard to see that recurring again this year if our starters get to sit out all the preseason games. If players are more worried about getting hurt than they are about perfecting their game so they can go 17-0 and then win the Super Bowl, then they need to turn in their pads & take up checkers or chess instead.
August 6th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
I agree with you Def R.
August 6th, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Baker & our offense need the reps. I get we’re returning core offensive players back, but uh it’s not like this was some cohesive unit last season and they def didn’t finish strong end regular season or the post season.
August 6th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Def R …sounds like a good name for a band. LOL!
August 6th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
I’m old enough to remember when the Bucs would purposely win all their preseason games and then go 4-12 over and over. Very dark times for sure.
August 6th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing the starters play a series or two. Wouldn’t mind unless someone got hurt that is.
August 6th, 2024 at 5:25 pm
I wouldn’t play them. These starters are making too much money, much of it guaranteed, to risk playing them in a meaningless game. Major injuries can happen especially since you’ve got rookies doing anything they can to impress the coaches to make the team. If one of our stars incurred a freak injury we’d all be screaming why did we play em. From a financial standpoint if I am an owner I’d be very dubious about playing them and risk losing millions in a season ending injury.
August 6th, 2024 at 5:47 pm
Yes, they need to play a lot more than in previous years to learn the new offense.
Special teams starters needs play a lot to learn the new kickoff rules. Pretty terrible because the refs don’t blow the whistle when the KO team can run off the line like the XFL. Lots of stupid penalties. BTW, I truly hate what McKay and Godell have done to the game.
August 6th, 2024 at 6:25 pm
With the number of INTs Bake has thrown this camp, seems like he could use the extra reps…
August 6th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
When a player starts to worry about getting hurt, that’s when they do get hurt. Aren’t the players just as likely to get hurt during those joint practices? And or in a fight? Seems there were quite a few fights last year. And or during regular preseason training camp?
Football is a physically tasking sport. Some players will get injured.
August 6th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
They need the reps together prior to game 1. Cept maybe Rachad. He looks good ready without Hainsey blocking him backwards.
August 6th, 2024 at 7:23 pm
Pre season games are a chance to see the new players under live fire. Of course for the most part they are playing against the 2s and 3s of the other team. So there’s that. It would be good to see the new offense with the the starters, of course you don’t want to give away to much film until the Washington game.
August 6th, 2024 at 10:42 pm
Baker is going to need some preseason snaps. He’s not throwing in rhythm with his receivers right now. If he can pull it together in the joint practices then he can sit out. But even then he needs to get in rhythm with live bullets flying.
August 6th, 2024 at 11:33 pm
With the super long season now it doesn’t make much sense to play your vet starters. Maybe some of the 2’nd year guys and rookie presumed starters but it don’t make much sense to get someone hurt in the preseason that you will definitely be relying on in the regular season. Play the newbies and let them fight it out.
August 7th, 2024 at 12:40 am
Think Bake has to play some portions of these games to get game-like situations to make sure he has the terminology & timing down within the new system.
The increased INT’s speak (to me) that Baker is pushing hard to re-learn the new concepts, etc., I could be wrong, just seems like it’s his personality and Coen is coaching him hard.
Nothing like trying some vanilla portions of the offense against an opposing vanilla defense, in real time.
August 7th, 2024 at 7:39 am
Baker barely played last preseason – I think he had 15 total passes, playing in only the two home games and not playing at all against in the hardest game at the Jets. He’d go in with the starters for a series or two and that was it. Padded his stats to provide cover for the fake competition.
August 7th, 2024 at 11:12 am
Unlikely to see Baker in a preseason game. Sometimes starters will play the final preseason game, but the Bucs will scrimmage against the Fins and Bake will work against the Fins’ starters with a low risk of being hit/injured. With the starting offense not playing in the game, Coen can reduce the tape available for the first team offense.