It wasn’t long ago that I wrote a piece regarding a potential option for the Bucs at the backup quarterback position if Kyle Trask were to leave in free agency. However, shortly thereafter, the news broke that Trask had re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year, approximately $2.8 million deal.
The signing means that the Bucs are solid on Trask as their backup option to Baker Mayfield, with third-string quarterback Michael Pratt still trying to get his NFL legs. The Buccaneers have been lucky when it comes to the health of their quarterback, as Mayfield has yet to miss a game in the pewter and red over the past two seasons. However, it is important to have a sturdy backup in place just in case an injury were to occur.
During the NFL annual meetings, Bucs general manager Jason Licht set the record straight when it came to the re-signing of his backup QB.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask throws a pass for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
“We really like Kyle. We know Kyle better than anybody,” Licht said. “A couple years ago, there was a quarterback battle, and he did very well. Just because he doesn’t have the experience doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s not the right person.
“Some quarterbacks that have experience getting thrown into the fire because the starter went down, they get a lot of money because they have the experience. It doesn’t necessarily mean they played well. Kyle just hasn’t had the game-time experience. I think if he ever did, we’d be talking a different situation. We’re very excited about him and glad that he’s back with us.”
After being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Trask immediately came in as the team’s third-string quarterback behind Tom Brady, and once the Brady era ended and Baker Mayfield entered, he was thrust into a quarterback battle.
Mayfield ended up winning that battle, as he should have, but it also left Trask as the backup. He didn’t argue or become frustrated with how things turned out and seems to be happy in Tampa Bay, or else he likely could have looked elsewhere this offseason. While there likely weren’t many options where he would find himself in a similar situation, Trask re-signed and will once again back up Mayfield — least through the end of the 2025 season.
As Licht mentioned, Trask hasn’t been able to see the field all that much, and that has to do with the health of Baker Mayfield along with games being too close where the backup cannot be inserted. Trask has seen the majority of his work come during training camp and the preseason, but continues to hone his skills once the opportunity does present itself.
