Baker Mayfield Camp Update — August 31: An undrafted rookie is the only backup

Baker Mayfield's backup is an undrafted rookie. When Tampa Bay set its initial 53 on Sunday, Jalon Daniels won the job behind Mayfield, with Jake Browning released and Connor Bazelak waived, leaving two quarterbacks on the roster, per Josh Alper at Pro Football Talk. Daniels "leap-frogged" both veterans, in the words of Scott Smith at Buccaneers.com. The rookie made his case in Friday's finale — eight of 15 for 57 yards, three sacks taken, playing into the third quarter of a 19-to-nothing shutout loss in Jacksonville — with Bowles saying the team "definitely wanted to see more of him... get him in there and see how he operated," per Smith. The two-quarterback math was a choice made out loud: Bowles on a third quarterback, "It's difficult because you probably need the spot for somewhere else," per Smith, and general manager Jason Licht, asked about carrying three, "If you have to do it, you have to do it," per TJ French at Heavy.com. The insurance is not returning through the back door either — Browning declined a practice-squad offer, per Josh Crysler at The Pewter Plank.

Around Mayfield, the week's tape cut two ways. Protection was the finale's failure — five sacks allowed, Bowles saying "I didn't think we protected the quarterback enough," per Smith — though the starters were rested, and Tristan Wirfs took his first team-drill snaps since his hamstring strain in Tuesday's joint practice, per JoeBucsFan.com, and made the roster. Mayfield himself, after that joint practice, said he was unimpressed with the team's physicality and indicated Tampa Bay would have lost a real game, per Evan Winter at A to Z Sports — and he kept connecting with rookie Ted Hurst III, including a touchdown, the same chemistry last week's episode flagged. Hurst made the 53.

Last week's episode asked whether Mayfield would play in the finale — he did not; the reps went to Daniels, and Mayfield's entire preseason stands at the two-drive, two-of-four, 10-yard cameo against Kansas City — and which receivers would be available to him after cutdown. The answer: six, two of them yet to take a preseason snap. Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan are on the roster without a preseason snap between them; Bowles expects McMillan and "hopefully" Egbuka for Week One, per Greg Auman, carried by FantasyPros.

Our June preview built Mayfield's case on durability and volume, with a new play-caller as the variable to watch, and one update to last week's episode is overdue: the Jake Browning who relieved him against Kansas City is no longer in the building. Mayfield opens the season with a rookie behind him, a line that just allowed five sacks with its backups, and two of his six receivers yet to take a preseason snap. We'll check back as the opener comes into focus.

_Data via nflverse._