One week into training camp, the Bucs aren’t any closer to naming a starting quarterback. In fact, they may be even farther away from making a decision, as the competition has actually tightened between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales was asked Tuesday evening whether that was the case, and he was in full agreement.

“Absolutely, yeah,” Canales said. “We were in the spring, right in this room, talking about it, the pros and cons of just naming a starter for the comfortability or playing this thing out. I think what we’re seeing is, we’re seeing a couple of guys who both have to put themselves in the starter mindframe. Going into practices knowing, ‘Hey, today’s my day I get to run with the 1s. I get maybe a few more reps.’ It’s pretty much even, even when we go 1s and 2s the way we do it. I see the two guys really challenging each other.”

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Adam Slivon/Pewter Report

Of course, no one thought the Bucs would have a clear starting signal-caller after just six practices (with only one in pads). Head coach Todd Bowles said at the beginning of camp that he has a timeline for a decision in his head, and that timeline was never going to be expedited by a week of practices. But what has become clearer in the early days of camp is that Tampa Bay has a true battle on its hands.

While Mayfield may have been the early favorite because of his experience in the NFL and his familiarity with Dave Canales’ style of offense, Trask has made strides and closed the gap in the last few days. What he lacks in experience, he’s made up for by being decisive and not turning the ball over. Mayfield has thrown five interceptions so far in camp, including another one Tuesday night, while Trask has tossed just one.

This is a battle that will continue to play out throughout training camp and into the preseason – the exhibition opener against Pittsburgh is just about a week and a half away – but it’s as close as it can be right now.

Dave Canales Breaks Down The Bucs’ QB Competition Thus Far

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

When the Bucs signed Baker Mayfield to a one-year deal in March, it provided them with a quarterback who has been there and done that in this league. Now, it’s not as if the former Browns, Panthers and Rams quarterback has established himself as a clear-cut starter – he’s in need of a bit of a career revival. But he’s led an NFL team before, has started 69 regular season games, and won a playoff game during his time in Cleveland.

All of that gave Mayfield an early edge over Kyle Trask, who was the Bucs’ third-string quarterback in 2021 and 2022 after being a second-round pick during the 2021 Draft. But as training camp has gone on, that early edge has begun to wane, making this competition even tenser than it was before.

Offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who oversaw a Seahawks quarterback competition in 2022 that produced the league’s Comeback Player of the Year in Geno Smith, gave his early impressions of Tampa Bay’s competition before Tuesday night’s practice.

“The first couple of days, I think the experience that Baker brings – just playing in games, being in camps, going through installs – you can see where the offense was gelling really well,” Canales said. “The timing of the snaps, all of that is really critical for us. So, probably a little bit of an edge for Baker to start off, just in terms of the smoothness of the offense.

“But it just took a couple of days for Kyle to really settle in. And then what we saw is the last two practices, Kyle really showed what he can do, stretching the field with his arm, getting the ball out quickly, making decisions. So I’m really excited about both of those guys and the progressions they’ve made throughout the last couple of days.”

Kyle Trask Has Taken Steps Forward In His Development

Bucs QBs Tom Brady and Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Before this summer, Kyle Trask’s reps in a Bucs uniform were extremely limited. Obviously, Tom Brady is Tom Brady, and the team was always going to make sure he got his work in. But with the experienced Blaine Gabbert locked in as the backup, Trask never had much of a shot to show why Tampa Bay drafted him in the second round.

Now, Trask is getting that chance. He’s changed his body, looks more decisive and is playing with more confidence. And Canales can see that on the practice field, mentioning Tuesday that the former Florida Gator has really begun to master the playbook.

“He’s mastering the concepts,” Canales said. “In any pass concept, you may have as many as three or four progressions, but you don’t have time to check all three, kind of like a true sprinkler type of read. So where guys start to get comfortable and play fast is when they eliminate one and two, they’re getting to three and four in the same rhythm. That’s what I’ve been seeing from him that I’m excited about.

“The other thing, too, is what’s happening with Kyle is, as I call a play, he’s finishing the play the sentence before I can finish it. That just speaks to him studying the offense, studying the formations and being really comfortable with what we’re calling.”

Trask’s ability to master Canales’ offense is paying off in a big way on the practice field. He’s developing a rapport with top receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and he looks more confident than ever. The fact that he’s taking care of the football is a big check mark in his favor as well.

Dave Canales, Bucs Coaches Are Building “Competitive Cauldron” In QB Room

Bucs QB Kyle Trask and OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As much as there is on the line with the Bucs’ quarterback competition – there are only 32 starting quarterback jobs to be had in this league – the culture within the room is one that Dave Canales is certainly proud of. The competitive nature of everything is helping each guy in the room get better, and that includes third-stringer John Wolford, who has flashed in his own right during the early days of training camp.

“The cool part is in our room, which a lot of people don’t get to see and hear is just Rule No. 1, we’re here to help the Bucs win. So whatever that is, we do that,” Canales said. “And then second rule is, we help each other. So Coach [Tom] Moore, myself, Thad Lewis, Jordan Sommerville – the assistant quarterbacks coach – now you’ve got four coaches with three players. So we’re all in there talking. If there’s something that benefits the team on a play, somebody sees it and says it. So you see the guys helping each other and it’s really just elevating the room.

“And the competition factor, don’t leave John Wolford out of the deal, too. He wants to make plays and he has his own style of doing it. He brings a lot to the table too, so it’s a really good competitive cauldron that we’re creating in there.”