Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
FeaturedNFLBy Arthur Weinstein on

Baker Mayfield has looked shaky at times in training camp, but he looked razor-sharp in his first game action Friday night.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback started against the Pittsburgh Steelers and completed 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards, including a touchdown to Trey Palmer.

Mayfield then handed things over to fellow QB Kyle Trask.

The performance came in the wake of Thursday’s report that Mayfield has already been chosen as the starter for the regular season opener, despite a highly publicized quarterback competition between Mayfield and Trask in training camp.

Mayfield, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, has struggled in camp, throwing interceptions early and often.

But when the Bucs took the field Friday night, Mayfield was ready. As one fan noted on Twitter, “Baker Mayfield did what Baker Mayfield does. When the lights are on, he shines bright. The podcasts shows that focussed on the turnovers in practice before the preseason game, need to know the difference in game time play.”

Meanwhile, Trask threw a pick shortly into his turn at the helm.

Mayfield, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner, is now with his fourth NFL team and looking to fill the shoes of retired Bucs quarterback Tom Brady. NFL fans and observers generally thought the performance proved Mayfield deserves to be QB1.

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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