TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield quickly demonstrated his skills for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 24-14 preseason finale victory against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. The veteran quarterback, who led the Bucs to the playoffs last season, orchestrated a 70-yard drive in just seven plays after the opening kickoff, culminating in a touchdown run by Rachaad White. He connected with rookie Jalen McMillan for a 28-yard gain during the drive.
Mayfield, who missed the first two preseason games, completed all three of his passes for 54 yards before resting for the remainder of the evening as both teams took the opportunity to evaluate younger players vying for roster positions.
Similarly, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa also played just one series this preseason. After leading the NFL in passing yards in 2023 and signing a four-year, $212 million extension during the offseason, Tagovailoa completed all five of his passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s second preseason outing.
This marked Mayfield’s first game since signing a three-year, $100 million contract, following a season where he threw for a career-high 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, aiding Tampa Bay in clinching its third straight NFC South title.
Injuries kept Miami’s star receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, from participating in the preseason finale, limiting their activity during a joint practice with the Bucs earlier in the week.
For Miami, Mike White and Skylar Thompson split quarterback duties, while Kyle Trask took over for Mayfield and played the rest of the game for Tampa Bay. Thompson had a strong performance, throwing for two touchdowns and finishing 19 of 27 with 190 yards, despite an interception in the fourth quarter. Trask also had a solid outing, completing 17 of 24 passes for 141 yards, including touchdown throws of 10 yards to Ryan Miller and 2 yards to Tanner Knue.