Bucs Re-Sign Kyle Trask

The Bucs have continued to shore up the depth on their offense, re-signing backup quarterback Kyle Trask, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask, C Graham Barton and OL Robert Hainsey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Trask was Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. General manager Jason Licht selected Trask hoping he would be the heir apparent to Tom Brady. Following Brady’s retirement in 2023, the team brought in Baker Mayfield to compete with Trask for the starting quarterback position. Mayfield won the battle, and Trask remained the primary backup.

Trask has had little opportunity to play in the regular season over his four years in the NFL. In his career, he has completed just four of his 11 passes, a 36.4% completion rating, for 28 yards.

But he has flashed in the preseason. Over 12 preseason games across four seasons, he has completed 62.2% of his 254 passes for 1,671 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him credited with 15 big-time throws and 10 turnover worthy plays.

He has been especially effective over the past two years since the Bucs switched to a more horizontal passing attack under former offensive coordinator Dave Canales and former offensive coordinator Liam Coen. In that timeframe, he has improved his completion rate to 65.2% and his yards per attempt has improved from 6.3 to 6.8. He also has five touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Kyle Trask Represents Continuity For Bucs Quarterback Room

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

With Trask having four years in the organization, the team has opted for continuity with his re-signing. Just two years after taking a flyer on Mayfield and putting he and Trask through a competition, Mayfield is now entrenched as Tampa Bay’s starter.

Given his relatively young age, the Bucs are less interested in finding his successor and more interested in giving the team a high-floor backup. Trask fits the bill at a reasonable cost.

Reportedly, the deal is for one year and $2.787 million, but every team gets to use a four-year qualifier deal on a player who was on the roster for four consecutive years. Because Trask fits that qualification he will only count $1,337,500 against the cap.

Trask’s deal represents a short-term commitment, too, as the team also has Michael Pratt on the roster. Pratt spent four years at Tulane, where he threw for 9,602 yards and 90 touchdowns. He was taken in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Packers. Green Bay waived him mid-season, and Tampa Bay claimed him on waivers before stashing him on their practice squad.

Pratt possesses intriguing tools and a potential long-term replacement for Trask. For now though, the Bucs want to roll with the veteran Trask over the potential of Pratt as their primary backup.

With Trask back, the team now has three quarterbacks under contract for 2025, as he joins Mayfield and Pratt. John Wolford, who has served as the team’s third-string quarterback for the last two seasons, left earlier this offseason to sign with the Jaguars, reuniting with former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen.