When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason opener, it will be serious for Baker Mayfield. For the 28-year-old, it’s about his career. He has no more excuses.

The task is big. No, it’s huge. In fact, it’s overwhelming. Not solvable.

Because when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, the duel for Tom Brady’s successor will be in full swing. It’s the preseason opener, Baker Mayfield will start. And he can start against Kyle Trask, who is breathing down his neck.

Who will fill the GOAT’s shoes for the Bucs?

“Everybody’s talking about Tom being gone. Yeah, he’s the greatest quarterback to ever play,” Mayfield told The Athletic. “But football is the greatest team sport in the world. And so it takes a lot more than just one person. And there’s a lot of good guys here. All of them are hungry and ready to go.”

Especially Mayfield himself. At the same time, he dismisses comparisons to Brady far and wide.

“I’ve always been myself. That’s the reason people either love me or hate me. So I do it my way. And I enjoy doing it,” Mayfield said. Respecting Brady but never trying to be like him, Mayfield said, “I’m not built like him. I don’t play like him. So I just try to be the best version of myself. “

The big question: is that best version enough for a career as a starter in the NFL? Because for Mayfield, it’s about more than the Brady legacy, those shoes are way too big anyway.

Career at stake

Much more is at stake.

Strictly speaking, the rest of his career is on the line, as it has suffered deep cracks since he lost his starting job with the Cleveland Browns and then the Carolina Panthers in a very short period of time. Mayfield has always been polarising, always been criticised.

Now he has even been at the much-cited crossroads for some time.

With the Panthers, he had basically already taken a wrong turn. But his surprisingly successful stint with the Los Angeles Rams at the end of last season gave him what is now probably his last chance with the Buccaneers. The one-year, $4 million contract gives the 2018 No. 1 pick a chance to show once again that he’s earned a spot as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Fact is, there are no more excuses for Mayfield.

He’s been able to go through the entire preparation process, through OTAs to camp, unlike past years when there were Corona restrictions or when he was injured. It allowed him to work his way into the playbook and should also benefit from the Rams playing a similar system to offensive coordinator Dave Canales with the Bucs. With receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, Mayfield has strong options in the offense, though it’s not quite as solid in Tampa as the defense.

A lot depends on the quarterback.

Good prerequisites for Mayfield

But one thing is clear: The conditions should put him in position for a successful start. He will definitely be judged on that.

But it’s also a fact: His lead over Kyle Trask has melted, the duel with the second-round pick from 2021, who after all was able to learn behind Brady for two years, is now one of equals. Trask is putting on the pressure, showed his qualities and potential in preparation and will be eligible in week two of the preseason.

Then, slowly but surely, the Bucs will finally settle on a starter. The Brady heir apparent.

For Mayfield, however, it will be about much more than that. More “do or die” is hardly possible. So this task is not easy either.

But at least it is theoretically solvable.