The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked onto the practice field with a different kind of energy on Wednesday, and it centered on Baker Mayfield. The veteran quarterback moved with purpose, fired clean throws, and showed life in every rep as the Buccaneers prepared to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield “looked good today,” and Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud added that the quarterback is “trending to start” in Week 13. For a Buccaneers team trying to steady its season, that small shift felt big. It felt like momentum.
Baker Mayfield has battled through shoulder soreness for weeks. His movement tightened last weekend. His timing slipped. The Buccaneers’ offense stalled. But under the stadium lights today, he carried a sharper rhythm. His warmups drew quiet optimism. Teammates noticed the firmness in his drops, and the ball left his hand with a quick release. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the confidence checkpoint the Buccaneers needed before facing a Cardinals defense that loves to disguise pressure. Todd Bowles didn’t oversell it. He stayed measured. Still, his tone suggested the offense was finally centering again around its starter.
A return that reshapes the Buccaneers’ week
If Mayfield does suit up, the structure of the Buccaneers’ attack changes instantly. The play-action game breathes easier. The tempo packages return. The receivers, who battled misfires in recent weeks, get a steadier rhythm to work with. Those details matter in a matchup that could tilt either way. Arizona brings speed off the edge. It brings pressure from depth. And it brings just enough unpredictability to test any Buccaneers quarterback when the timing isn’t sharp.
That is why every clean throw Mayfield delivered today landed with extra weight. His presence brings stability. His toughness brings belief. And if this trend holds, Buccaneers fans might finally get the quarterback they’ve been waiting to see in Week 13.
So the only question now is simple: if Baker Mayfield starts Sunday, how far can the Buccaneers push this surge?
