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With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clashing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason on Saturday, fans are wondering if star offensive players will be making an appearance. While plans for the Buccaneers in the preseason are fluid, head coach Todd Bowles would give some insight into the playing statuses of quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans.
In the latest posts by Greg Auman on X, formerly Twitter, he would be asked by a user on the social media platform about the players who are ruled out. Auman responded saying that Mayfield and Evans will not play Saturday, and everybody healthy is participating.
“Bowles said no Mayfield, Evans, or David playing Saturday,” Auman wrote. “Think the rest of the healthy players are all in play.”
The team's quarterback room is an interesting room, as besides Mayfield, you have Kyle Trask and veteran Teddy Bridgewater, back in the NFL after a stint in coaching high school football. Bowles was asked this week about the progress of Bridgwater, saying they want “to get him in game two,” according to the team's website.
“We'll see by the practice reps and the reps he gets against the Steelers how much he grasps,” Bowles said. “We'd like to get him in game two. If not, we'd like to have him ready to play a lot of game three.”
From 2020 to 2023, Bridgewater was with four different teams, such as the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and the Detroit Lions. After taking the one-year hiatus as mentioned, he is now with Tampa Bay, looking to make an impact.
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield preparing for an explosive season
After the Buccaneers beat the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener, the team is looking to see more improvement from other players besides the starters. One of those young up-and-coming stars that fans are excited about is rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and his on-the-field relationship with Mayfield.
While fans won't see it in the second preseason game, Egbuka has been praising Mayfield to the media, like after the joint practice with Pittsburgh on Thursday. The 19th overall pick in the most recent NFL Draft out of Ohio State was asked about Mayfield's ball placement.
“Oh, phenomenal, every single time,” Egbuka said, according to the team's website. “I don't get surprised anymore. I've seen it time and time again. Him and Mike connecting on that two-minute drill is kind of just routine for us at this point.”
Speaking about the practice session, there was a two-minute drill that saw Mayfield drive the offense down the field and connect with Evans in the end zone, garnering the attention of Bowles.
“I thought Baker made some great calls at the end,” Bowles said. “Overall, it was good competition to get to see a team like that, a very physical team, a smart team.”
After finishing 10-7 last season, winning the AFC South, Tampa Bay opens the season on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Atlanta Falcons.
