Baker Mayfield Forced to Warm the Bench as Teddy Bridgewater’s Future Uncertain at Buccaneers Baker Mayfield sits preseason while Bridgewater fights for Buccaneers’ backup role, leaving Tampa’s QB fut

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’