Former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, now the likely starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has received for criticism ahead of the NFL season.
We're not sure what Baker Mayfield did to receive the level of criticism he's gotten since coming into the league out of Oklahoma, but it's nearly personal at this point.
Mayfield is competing with Kyle Trask, a second-year player out of Florida who sat behind Tom Brady last season, for the starting job. Trask is the kind of player the Bucs would like to see receive starting reps at some point this season, even if just in practice, before they once again set out to select a franchise quarterback. If this Tampa Bay season goes as expected — not well enough to make the playoffs — then the Bucs could set the reset button on the position as a whole.
Mayfield, however, is hoping for a different approach. Should Baker perform well enough to earn the starting nod this season (and hold it), he could once again prove himself worth of being the face of a franchise. If not, this may be his last chance before settling for backup snaps.
Buccaneers: Is Baker Mayfield a backup?
With that in mind, one NFL general manager had some harsh words for Mayfield, who he already views as backup caliber.
"Mayfield moves well enough, throws well enough, does some things well enough but possesses no special ability," one GM said, per The Athletic. "He may win you a game because he may run around and people aren't prepared, but at the end of the day, he is just a backup, in my opinion."
As harsh as that may sound, Mayfield hasn't done all that much to prove any executives wrong at this point. While he had some decent games in Cleveland, injuries and inconsistent play often got in the way of sustained success.
Now with the Bucs, Baker wants to put all that behind him. Should he start Week 1, he'll have the chance.
