Hall of Famer weighs in on Buccaneers' QB competition

Add former quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner to the list of people picking Baker Mayfield over Kyle Trask to serve as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 1 starter next month. 

"Obviously, I’ve seen more of Baker watching him through the years," Warner recently told the JoeBucsFan website. "Baker is one of those quarterbacks that if you keep him in his wheelhouse, he can be a good quarterback. He has good instincts. He has that big arm that can push the ball down the field. And just watching the preseason game [on Friday], it looks like [the Bucs] are trying to establish the run. They want to be that kind of a team." 

Warner has a noteworthy reason to follow Tampa Bay's quarterback competition this summer. Undrafted free agent wide receiver Kade Warner, Kurt's son, is spending time with the Buccaneers through at least the preseason. 

It was reported before the Buccaneers opened the preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Friday that Mayfield is on track to start over Trask for the Week 1 clash at the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield then completed 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown against Pittsburgh, while Trask went 6-of-10 for 99 yards and an interception in that outing. 

Trask is expected to start this Saturday's exhibition game at the New York Jets. 

"I think Baker can really thrive in that system," Kurt Warner added during his discussion with JoeBucsFan. 

Earlier this week, Gregg Rosenthal of the NFL's website noted that Mayfield "easily outplayed" Trask against Pittsburgh. Assuming whispers about Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles wanting to publicly name a QB1 not long after the Jets game concludes are accurate, one wonders if he's already essentially made his decision. 

For better or for worse, it appears Mayfield will have a chance to prove Warner right or wrong about "thriving" in Tampa Bay's offensive system beginning on Sept. 10.