Bucs Say Backup Quarterback Is A Need
February 24th, 2026
Joe got a feeling today that new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson watched film of the Bucs-Rams game in November.
That was when veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater, the man who ousted Kyle Trask in August, saw his first significant action in the regular season.
Bridgewater wasn’t all bad in the blowout loss on national television, but he certainly looked overmatched and not like the seasoned veteran Pro Bowl backup the Bucs hoped they had signed.
Today at the NFL Scouting Combine, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles talked about Baker Mayfield needing to be a little more careful with his body to prevent injury, even if that means just sliding a few more times during the regular season.
That prompted a question for Bowles about whether he’s is prioritizing adding a backup quarterback this offseason.
Bowles didn’t mention Bridgewater, a pending free agent, but Bowles did say he wants a new QB behind Mayfield.
“We feel like we need a backup quarterback,” Bowles said. “Obviously, we gotta see what’s out there. There’s plenty out there right now. There’s a lot of balls in the air, so we just got to see how it unfolds.”
Nice knowing you, Teddy.
February 24th, 2026 at 9:58 pm
Thanks for the laugh with that headline Joe.
Gee, ya think?
February 24th, 2026 at 10:56 pm
Fa and draft please!
February 24th, 2026 at 10:59 pm
Tracy Chapman is available and would produce the same result.
February 24th, 2026 at 11:27 pm
Absolutely. Because of his bad passes in preseason, they lost Godwin for most the season. But the only thing anyone cared about where the 2 touchdown passes in the one preseason game.
Everything else was a bad throw, overthrown, leading receivers to danger. Horrendous decision to keep him as a backup.
And, a reason why Baker stayed on the field when he was obviously injured the entire second half of the year. They couldn’t afford to put Bridgewater in.
February 25th, 2026 at 12:00 am
Aqualung
At least she can sing.
February 25th, 2026 at 12:06 am
Kirk cousins lol
February 25th, 2026 at 12:09 am
A first Magnitude Bowzo Blunder. Blooper Bilgewater. Many more on the way.
February 25th, 2026 at 12:27 am
Well, that set my mind at ease. I was at aid Bowles would stick with Teddy.
February 25th, 2026 at 12:48 am
Jmark, good point. She’d have been better than Teddy.
February 25th, 2026 at 2:43 am
Gee Ya think?
Problem is that the guys that could actually help and maybe win a couple of games? Rooks gonna help in an emergency? Not likely. Those kind of guys are first and maybe second rounders. Vets? Umm Jimmy G? Marcus Mariota? Who d thunk it… Ouch! Slim pickins. They still have Kyles number at One Buc?
Go Bucs!
February 25th, 2026 at 4:45 am
Bowles … “We feel like we need a backup quarterback.”
Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever hear a HC utter those words. Todd’s grasp of the obvious is getting scary.
Teddy Bridgewater had no business being on the team. That was a ludicrous management decision. We got Teddy for $1.25 mil last year, way down near the bottom. Found an analysis from 2023 where the Top-10 backup QBs averaged $5.7 mil a year, and the Top 11-20 averaged $2.3 mil a year. In the Top-10 there were QBs like Jacoby Brissett, Mitch Trubisky & Gardner Minshew. In the 2nd group QBs like Case Keenum, Andy Dalton & yes, Kyle Trask.
Bucs weren’t willing to pay the $$$ and it bit us in the a$$. It’s nice that Bowles & hopefully the rest of management has now grasped the obvious … Bucs NEED a backup QB.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:24 am
Draft Sawyer Roberts…4th or 5th….if he blows up the combine, then earlier….or sign one.
February 25th, 2026 at 5:32 am
Zach Wilson
February 25th, 2026 at 5:35 am
Bridgewater had a respectable career. But…he had to be talked into even being on the roster…he basically said as much. He was banned from his high school coaching gig for giving players “improper benefits”…but it wasn’t egregious.
The last thing…and I mean last thing he wanted to do is go into a game where the Bucs were being manhandled…and he’d be expected to drop back on most plays with a bull/bum rush coming at him with force. I’m not sure Trask or anyone else would have been much better.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:44 am
Draft Drew Allan 7th round and get Carson Wentz or Minshew.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:46 am
“We got Teddy for $1.25 mil last year…”
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Thanks DR. That says a LOT. What is says is JL was not that invested in the Bucs making a SB run last season. As does the lack of signing FA players in ’25 or making a trade before the deadline. The budget was the priority. Contrast this with the players JL brought in for the Brady SB run.
I predict JL to do more of the same in ’26. There will be no Maxx kind of trade. JL will sign a FA edge rusher, but it will be a less splashy, younger player with “potential” who will “surprise a lot of people”. That will somewhat keep the Bowles haters from changing their target for JL.
February 25th, 2026 at 6:57 am
zack wilson as a reclamation project could be interesting…but we still need a back up…
zack robinson pulled kyle trask off the scrap heap in atlanta…
so why not bring kyle back- and say sorry too – lol…and add in zack wilson for sh!ts and heavy giggles
February 25th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Wasn’t Bowles the decision maker to dump Trask only to hire Teddy?
And Defense Rules is spot on – Teddy basically said he didn’t want to be here.
February 25th, 2026 at 7:28 am
“Ya think????? Thanks Captain Obvious!
February 25th, 2026 at 7:36 am
malik willis!!!
unfortunately, baker doesnt like competition….
we’ll sign another “back up” QB who wont challenge baker, who wont be an upgrade over teddy and has no business in the NFL…
they’ll sign phillip rivers or flacco lol….
GO BUCS!!!!
February 25th, 2026 at 10:44 am
Willis wants and is a starter hes not coming, you’ll have to settle for Cousins trade Evans for him lol!
February 25th, 2026 at 11:04 am
What a revelation! And it only took 3 years to figure it out. However, the question remains. Is Joe’s mancrush Licht on board?
February 25th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Bring back Trask.
February 25th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Altmyer, rd 6
February 25th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
Let’s go get Kirk so he doesn’t beat us next year