Todd Bowles Changes Stance on Baker Mayfield After Announcing Preseason Plans vs Steelers

The Buccaneers had their nerves tested early in August when their starting quarterback felt soreness in his throwing hand. The timing could not have been worse. With practice sessions missed, Todd Bowles had to glance at his depth chart and consider alternatives. “Yeah,” Bowles said. “We’re looking at that.” Now, with their another 2025 preseason game against the Steelers fast approaching, the question lingers over the field. Who will take the first snap? The suspense hangs as the majority of the Buccaneers’ starters are set to see action on Saturday.

But will Baker Mayfield? HC got the clarity on this question when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers held a two-hour joint practice at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday, August 14. NFL beat reporter Rick Stroud posted on X, “After reviewing the tape of today’s practice, Todd Bowles just told me he believes Baker Mayfield played so well today in the joint workout with the Steelers he will NOT play in Saturday night’s game.”

Baker Mayfield led the Bucs offense with precision, firing passes to Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and Emeka Egbuka. The unit delivered standout moments at both the start and close of practice. After each team went through early-practice routines of install sessions and positional drills, they moved to the first true competition period. It featured two-point attempts with Tampa Bay’s offense going head-to-head against Pittsburgh’s defense.

The Bucs’ first-team offense ran four plays and converted three of them. It was an efficient showing against a physical Steelers defense. The performance reinforced the decision to protect Mayfield from unnecessary contact. Bowles knew the smart play was to rest his quarterback now that he had proven himself.

ESPN’s Jenna Laine backed up Stroud’s report on X, writing, “Can confirm that Baker Mayfield will not be playing Saturday based off of his strong performance in practice today against the Steelers. @NFLSTROUD reported first. All other starters will play with the exception of Lavonte David and Mike Evans.” Bowles, who was on the lookout for a replacement for Mayfield, added that Teddy Bridgewater is expected to make his Buccaneers debut against Pittsburgh. Roster edits are almost over for both teams. The lineup has been crafted strategically.

Todd Bowles vs Mike Tomlin: How does the preseason roster look?

When the Steelers and Buccaneers hit the turf, the lineups will look different than usual. Both head coaches are holding back their healthy stars. For that reason, Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers debut at Acrisure Stadium will have to wait. Mike Tomlin confirmed the quarterback, along with DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, T.J. Watt, and Cam Heyward, will skip the second preseason clash. “We’ll make our decisions on a week-to-week basis based on development and performance,” Tomlin said. “Different guys need different amounts of work to be ready.”

Tomlin will keep the same approach as in the first game. “I’m going to play this preseason game very much like we did the first one,” he said. “The same collection of guys that were held out the last time will comprise the guys that are held out this time.” Get the work in without risking the health of his core.

In Tampa, Todd Bowles has spent three seasons building his quarterback depth like a fortress. It has kept the Buccaneers on top of the NFC South despite injuries and roster churn. And this week the roster looked different again. Reports on X revealed, “#Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is dealing with hamstring tightness.” The All-Pro safety has been the backbone of Tampa’s secondary since his rookie year, so Bowles is taking no chances.

The Buccaneers’ depth took another hit on August 12. Greg Auman of The Athletic reported, “Bucs have waived-injured QB Michael Pratt, who hadn’t practised this year due to a lower back injury. He’d spent last year on the practice squad.”  Todd Bowles and the front office are making calculated decisions after stressing that standout performances against the Titans were no accident.

The head coach pointed out that those same players have been delivering in practice as well. “No. We have a system where we play guys, and they’ll get that chance coming up. We get them better competition in practice as well, so they get to go against everybody. That doesn’t change how they play. If you make plays in practice, you make them in the game. A couple of guys made some plays late, but they’ve been practicing well, too.” It’s a philosophy built on consistency.