Report: Tampa, Former Florida QB Kyle Trask in Position to Replace Tom Brady
The Buccaneers are scrambling to identify the heir to Tom Brady at quarterback. The task won't be easy, for reasons beyond the obvious such as replacing a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Tampa Bay is currently $55 million over the salary cap entering the 2023 offseason and will feel the effects of its cap debt when the free agent market opens in March. The Bucs are projected to lose contributors due to its spending restrictions, making any potential quarterback signing or trade of significance a daunting if not impossible duty.
Even with these factors put aside, there's a relatively obvious option Tampa can turn to for the short-term, at the very least: Kyle Trask, former Florida quarterback and the Buccaneers' second-round selection in 2021.
Given Brady's retirement and the expiring deals of backups Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin, Trask is technically the Bucs' only quarterback under contract for 2023 and beyond. That will change, but Trask's odds to compete to start next season aren't likely to move barring a big offseason move that Tampa can't currently afford.
"Caught up with a few Bucs players in Phoenix [for the Super Bowl] who believe Trask will get a shot at QB1 for Tampa," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday. "The feeling is Trask's draft pedigree as a second-round pick, coupled with a scarcity of realistic options on the market, will get him on the field."
Reports have surfaced from numerous outlets, such as NFL Network, suggesting that the Bucs will assess the market for any starting-caliber passers it can afford. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a former Brady backup in New England who has long been the subject of trade rumors, has specifically been floated as a candidate.
But considering the team's financial situation — keep in mind, Brady will take up roughly $35 million in cap space while watching Bucs games from his couch — another big investment at the position for the short-term would probably hurt Tampa Bay more than help in the long run.
That reality seemingly leaves Trask as Tampa's best bet, awarding him the opportunity to prove himself in the pros after an illustrious career at Florida.
A high school backup and relatively unknown recruit, Trask spent five seasons at Florida and emerged as the team's starter in 2019 due to a season-ending injury above him on the depth chart.
He took the job and ran with it. Across 28 appearances and 22 starts with the Gators, Trask completed 68 percent of his 813 passes for 7,386 yards and 69 touchdowns with just 15 interceptions. He added eight scores on the ground.
Trask's best season in Gainesville was his last, when he shattered school records by posting 4,283 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and earned Second-Team All-American Honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News that year, en route to his 64th overall selection by Tampa Bay in 2021.
However, Trask has been limited to just one regular season appearance in his two years with the Bucs. He completed just three-of-nine passes for 23 yards in his debut against Atlanta this past season.
The Buccaneers, obviously, were able to evaluate and coach Trask behind the scenes with Brady leading the team's offense. However, all the public has been able to see was his underwhelming performance against the Falcons and his six preseason showings. Trask is 72-of-129 (59%) for 769 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in exhibition games to date.
Of course, his preseason reps were often paired with roster bubble players making up Tampa's offense, and he has yet to throw meaningful passes to the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The presence of 53-man roster members should certainly elevate Trask's production when he takes the field.
And while it might not be visible quite yet, Trask's development in the practice setting has left a strong impression on those around him. Specifically, his head coach.
“Since he’s been here, every time I look out my window, he’s out there working on his own,” head coach Todd Bowles said about Trask in January. “When his time comes, he’s going to be ready because I see him working at it every day. He has inner toughness, he has inner strength, and he has the drive and the will to win.
"If you put that together, given the opportunity, I think he’s going to take advantage of it.”
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