There is a time for everything. Regarding the Buccaneers, it’s time for the quarterback competition to end.
Receiver Mike Evans said last week that he wants it to end. So has Baker Mayfield, one of the two contenders for the job.
It’s time. The Buccaneers have 20 days until they face the Vikings in Week 1. They need to pick a horse and prepare it for the first of 17 regular-season races.
Mayfield reportedly will be the guy. Until the Buccaneers make it official, there’s always a chance Kyle Trask will emerge with the gig.
Something is causing the Bucs to wait. Is it as simple as offensive coordinator (and former Seahawks quarterbacks coach) Dave Canales trying to replicate late year’s competition between Geno Smith and Drew Lock in Seattle, with the winner being announced after the final preseason game?
Or is the competition still ongoing? Has Trask, who played most of Saturday night’s game while Mayfield didn’t play at all, closed the gap?
Also, it’s fair to wonder how the petition filed last Tuesday by Mayfield regarding the handling of $12 million by an investment firm at which family members work has become a factor for the Bucs. Teams constantly worry about distractions. Mayfield created one by launching his legal action during the preseason.
It’s a big deal. It involves $12 million in after-tax money. It involves family. It’s a mess.
The Bucs endured a mess last year involving their starting quarterback. It could make them more sensitive to the manner in which family-related developments in the case over the course of the season might impact Mayfield.
Or maybe they already know Mayfield will be the starter, and they’re just waiting. If they know, holding it back solely for the sake of holding it back makes no sense. Tell the world who it is, and get busy getting ready for September 10.
