Bucs quarterback Kyle Trask handled himself just fine during his and the rest of the team’s preseason opener on Saturday night. Entering his fifth season, Trask has remained entrenched as the top backup to Baker Mayfield since Mayfield signed with the team during the 2023 season.
Despite having clipboard duty throughout his NFL career, save for a few pass attempts and kneel downs, the former Florida Gator remains laser-focused on being the best quarterback he can be. After throwing some lasers and leading Tampa Bay to a 29-7 win over the Titans, Trask shared his comfort level in the offense and in his abilities to command the unit.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles Thinks QB Kyle Trask “Played Very Well”
The preseason has been Kyle Trask’s time to shine for the past couple of seasons. Given opportunities at extended playing time in an in-game setting has proved to be beneficial, with the Bucs’ victory over the Titans being the latest example.
Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: USA Today
Trask completed 12 of 16 passes for 129 yards, averaging over eight yards a passing attempt in the process. In last week’s Pewter Report Roundtable, I discussed my desire to see him stretch the field running Josh Grizzard’s offense.
He did so from the start, finding wide receiver Jalen McMillan for a 25-yard gain on the offense’s first play and then connecting with promising rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for 21 yards on his second pass attempt. While Trask was unable to connect with Egbuka near the end zone and failed to throw a touchdown on the night, he had success finding his wide receivers after going through his reads while being timely and accurate.
Head coach Todd Bowles said as much during his post-game press conference.
“I thought he played very well,” Bowles said about Trask’s play. “He was 12-of-16, he made some timely throws down the field to Emeka [Egbuka] and made one to ‘J-Mac’ (Jalen McMillan) and he made another one. So, he did a very good job controlling the offense. He was poised in the pocket.”
When it comes to his own self-assessment, the veteran quarterback pointed to his ability to control the ball and play within himself.
Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: USA Today
“I thought I did a good job staying within the rhythm of the game — trying to stay as consistent as possible,” Trask said. “[I was not] trying to do anything special — just play within the scheme — try to limit the negative plays, don’t turn the ball over, and just keep the ball moving forward.”
Going from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard’s offense provides Trask and the rest of the players on that side of the football to have a foundation from which to build off last year’s success piling up yards and scoring points. There will be adjustments, especially as Grizzard aims to get down playcalling responsibilities while bringing the same level of innovation that Coen did in scheming players open.
Talking to Pewter Report after the game, Trask shared just how comfortable he is trusting his decision-making operating the offense.
“With every year comes a lot more experience and confidence,” Trask said. “Now that I’ve had the chance to be in the same system for two years — not the exact same of course — very similar. That’s all you can ask for as a quarterback is getting the same system. It’s such a struggle switching systems every year. You’re really learning the ins and outs in year two and three if the coordinator is still there.
“To have a whole year under your belt and then you get another year in the same system, it’s like a quarterback’s dream. I feel very confident going forward. With every year, every preseason I play in, I feel just so much more confident in my abilities and just my command of the offense.”
Kyle Trask Focusing On Being The Best QB He Can Be, Not About Teddy Bridgewater
When the Bucs went out and signed veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater last week, it understandably raised some eyebrows. While Bridgewater joined the team as an extra camp arm who could pass on a decade’s worth of NFL experience, he also is an accomplished signal-caller. Tampa Bay did not just bring in an undrafted rookie off the street; they added arguably the best available arm into the mix.
Bucs QB Teddy Bridgewater – Photo by: USA Today
Regardless, Kyle Trask is not looking over his shoulder. Instead, his only goal is to get better every practice and when his number is called.
“I am just concerned about being the best that I can be,” Trask said when asked if he had to play well with Bridgewater coming in. “My whole thing, my whole career is just control what you can control. I wake up every single day, and I try to be the best that I can be, I try to be the best that I can be at practice, in my routine, whatever it may be — in a game, obviously. That has always been my focus and it will continue to be my focus going forward.”
While Trask did not get an explanation of why the team added Bridgewater, he does not seem to care. Rather, he is looking forward to the knowledge he brings into the quarterback room.
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard and QBs Kyle Trask and Connor Bazelak – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“I never got a direct answer, to answer your question,” Trask added. “They’ve told me or I’ve heard through the grapevine that he brings a lot of experience. I have met him and been around him for around a week now, and he is great. He is a great person to be in the room — he has great ideas. It is always a good thing when you can bring in experience into a quarterback room, it really can bring in some extra knowledge — it is never a bad thing.”
What is also not a bad thing is seeing how well Kyle Trask played on Saturday night. The goal is to make each position battle as hard as possible, which in turn makes head coach Todd Bowles and general Jason Licht’s decisions that much harder at end of camp roster cutdown. Trask will not be let go, and he is not concerned about the competition that has been brought in to push him.
“That is out of my control. I don’t really have an answer for you. I am just trying to do what I can do and see what happens.”