Baker Mayfield is not happy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their contract negotiation stalled. However, now that the team is playing the New York Jets in the 2026 NFL Preseason, all eyes are on the signal-caller.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Tuesday that Baker Mayfield won’t be playing vs Jets on Friday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. As for Geno Smith, his playing status vs Buccaneers has also been revealed.
Backup QBs Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels will take the majority of the snaps. Jake Browning is dealing with an injury, so he’ll be sidelined for the team’s preseason opener.
Baker Mayfield’s preseason stats
Mayfield’s career has gone from first overall pick to backup to star. Hence, his NFL preseason outings have varied a lot depending on how his team view him. He sat entirely during 2019, 2025, and 2026’s preseasons (2020 didn’t have a preseason due to COVID-19).
| Year | Team | Comp | Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 118.8 |
| 2023 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 15 | 106 | 2 | 0 | 135.4 |
| 2022 | Carolina Panthers | 13 | 22 | 134 | 2 | 0 | 107.0 |
| 2021 | Cleveland Browns | 6 | 10 | 73 | 1 | 0 | 115.8 |
| 2018 | Cleveland Browns | 35 | 61 | 501 | 2 | 1 | 88.2 |
Buccaneers’ preseason schedule
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers features three AFC opponents, with two of them being away games. The Jets are the first of the opponents and given that this game is in MetLife Stadium, their main mission is to avoid any injuries.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | Location | TV / Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Friday, Aug 14 | at New York Jets | 7:00 PM | MetLife Stadium | NFL Network / WFLA 8 |
| Week 2 | Saturday, Aug 22 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 7:30 PM | Raymond James Stadium | WFLA 8 / ESPN App |
| Week 3 | Friday, Aug 28 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | 7:30 PM | EverBank Stadium | WFLA 8 / Local |
