Just last week, Baker Mayfield made it clear he wanted preseason snaps. He wanted to stand in the pocket, stare down the gun barrel and deliver a strike while taking a hit. Instead, for the first time in his career, he’ll enter Week 1 without any live game reps. Todd Bowles, after reviewing film from joint practices with Pittsburgh, ruled that the next time Mayfield plays will be when it counts. For a quarterback whose reputation is built on toughness, that decision was a curveball. But one Mayfield accepted, insisting, “I felt like I was mentally ready. If I needed more time to get chemistry with the guys, that would be one thing. But we’ve taken these reps extremely seriously when it comes to having to adjust on the fly. Because we’re not game-planning our defense, and they’ve thrown a ton of stuff at us.”

So, now, the bigger spotlight shifts to the backup race. Bowles announced Kyle Trask will start the preseason finale against the Bills, while Teddy Bridgewater, fresh from a brief stint in high school coaching, remains in limbo. The two are effectively battling for QB2, with Connor Bazelak in the mix for mop-up duty. Whether Bridgewater sees the field Saturday could be the clearest indicator yet of where he stands, as the Bucs weigh keeping two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

That uncertainty only adds to the intrigue. Injuries at other positions may squeeze how many quarterbacks Tampa can carry, and Todd Bowles has been noncommittal about the final roster math. For Baker Mayfield, the picture is simpler: his seat is secure, his timing with receivers will be tested under fire, and his season now starts with no safety net. For everyone else in the quarterback room, the Bills game could decide careers. And Baker knows better than this. Because he was right there, fighting with Trask in 2023.

As Rick Stroud wrote: “When Mayfield was battling Trask for the starting job a few years ago, he was held out of the second preseason game against the Jets and played in the final exhibition vs. the Ravens, a pretty big clue that he had secured the No. 1 role.” At the time, it was the biggest headline. 2023 preseason’s last, and the truest, QB battle: Trask vs. Mayfield. Though Trask threw for 20/28 completions over 218 yards for 1 TD in the 13-6 win over the Jets. Some still believe that Bowles made his decision before that game. It was the #6 to be the QB1.

And fast forward two years later, this is where the lens shifts. Teddy Bridgewater’s journey is as unpredictable as it is compelling. Exactly a year ago, he was coaching Miami Northwestern to a state title, steering high schoolers with the same discipline and heart that made him beloved in NFL locker rooms from Minnesota to Denver. A self-imposed suspension over support for his players eventually led him back to the league this month, chasing another ride in a business that rarely leaves room for sentimental comebacks. “I’ve been a humble servant throughout my career, playing and coaching, so however I can help this team, that’s my focus,” Bridgewater told the Bucs just days ago. He framed his role as a backup, a mentor, and maybe wildcard… But a one with trademark humility.

His preseason stat line has been modest. Six completions on 11 attempts, 85 yards, two touchdowns against the Steelers. Yet the organizational calculus is still in the vault. The Bucs want a savvy veteran who can help Mayfield, as Bowles admitted: “Most good quarterbacks have another guy in there that’s a veteran, that’s pretty savvy, that understands the game… Teddy can help Baker out.” But Bridgewater is more than a clipboard guy. He’s playing with stakes that cut deeper than the usual roster shuffle, a quarterback fighting to prove his relevance in a league that has almost moved on.

Baker Mayfield waits while Teddy Bridgewater battles his internal thoughts

What the headlines don’t say is how Bridgewater’s fighting his inner voices. One foot in Tampa’s quarterback room, the other on Northwestern High’s sideline. Still longing for the job that gave him purpose beyond paychecks. The Florida High School Athletic Association investigation remains a cloud overhead. And even with no teaching salary and a self-reported suspension, Bridgewater’s real concern is for his players back in Miami. “It’s very upsetting,” he admitted, “Just knowing that you have good intentions and those good intentions will be turned against you and used against you.” That sting hasn’t faded, and it fuels why every NFL snap right now feels like a placeholder instead of a pursuit.

The Buccaneers see a steady hand of a 32-year-old who can stabilize a QB room behind Baker Mayfield. Bridgewater, though, sees kids back in Miami who, in his words, “have a special place in my heart.” The conflict is obvious. A career in pads that still has life left versus a calling in cleats and clipboards that money can’t measure. “Coaching high school ball, I get nothing,” he admitted. “But it’s not even about the money. It’s about giving those kids a building block to go out into the real world and be productive.” Few NFL veterans are that blunt about what drives them — and what doesn’t.

So, his Tampa stint feels like an in-between chapter, a necessary pause before returning to what he really wants to finish. Bridgewater says he’d “love to finish what I started with them,” and whether the Buccaneers cut him loose in September or keep him on as QB2, it seems only a matter of time. For now, the film room and practice reps in Tampa are his reality. But when the lights dim and the cheers fade, his future likely points back to Miami, back to the sideline, and back to the players who made him want to coach in the first place.