Baker Mayfield Rumors: Buccaneers Expected to Target QB After Tom Brady Retirement

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need quarterback depth after Tom Brady's retirement, and they reportedly could look toward a high-profile option in free agency.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the NFC South team is "expected to target" Baker Mayfield as an addition to compete with Kyle Trask for the starting job. Rapoport noted Trask is someone Tampa Bay "likes a lot" even though it could create that competition.

This is not the first time Mayfield has been listed as an option for Tampa Bay, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last Sunday it was one of the teams that "came up most often" as a landing place alongside the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers could also use some depth at the position with Jimmy Garoppolo expected to go elsewhere and Trey Lance and Brock Purdy coming off injuries.

As for the Buccaneers, Trask has attempted just nine passes in his career since they selected him with a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He is certainly a question mark at this point of his career, and adding a veteran like Mayfield would be an insurance policy regardless of what happens in any competition for the starting job.

Mayfield entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft and flashed moments of brilliance at times.

However, he never lived up to the expectations that come with being the top pick in the draft as turnovers and inconsistent play proved to be concerns. Cleveland eventually traded him to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2022 season, and he played seven games for the NFC South team before he was released.

The Los Angeles Rams then signed him, and he played five games with four starts for the NFC West team. One of those games was a comeback win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but he also threw for fewer than 200 yards in three of the contests.

Mayfield likely isn't someone who could lead the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl title, but he would also provide veteran depth at a position of need.