Kyle Trask really could take over for Baker Mayfield amid Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles’ caveat on Mayfield’s ankle injury.
“I know he’s pretty sore right now,” Bowles told reporters on Monday. “We’ll try to give him a break when he needs one during the week and see how he feels. I’ve got to see how he’s moving.”
Mayfield sustained an ankle injury in the 27-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but he returned to the game after three plays by Trask. While Mayfield’s MRI came back negative, Bowles’ open-ended assessment of his condition going forward could lead to another opportunity for Trask.
The former second-round NFL Draft pick has hardly seen the field in his three-year career. Trask only has 13 career snaps between two games, but Mayfield sees Trask as a viable backup.
“Kyle’s prepared. There’s no doubt about that,” Mayfield told JoeBucsFan.com. “So it just speaks volumes about him to be early in the game ready for that. So yeah, we trust him.”
If Trask has to go in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers, it will mark his first career start with a lot on the line. The Buccaneers sit a game back of first place for the NFC South race despite a 1-6 midseason slide.
“I kind of try to take pride in building a great routine,” Trask told JoeBucsFan.com. “That way, you know no matter how much I end up playing I always got my routine and will be as ready as possible.”
Buccaneers Didn’t Play Conservative With Kyle Trask
In Trask’s brief appearance, he took a shot at the end zone but came up short. As JoeBucsFan.com noted, Trask took on more reasonability than the average backup in the moment.
“I appreciate [coaches] believing in me with the play calls and trying to air one out on third down,” Trask told JoeBucsFan.com. “So, like I said, whatever lands in the headset I’m going to do to the best of my ability.
“I felt really calm. I mean, I knew exactly what to do so it’s just about execution. Other than that, it felt great to finally get out there in a real rep, you know what I mean? I thought that was good experience for me even though it was short-lived,” Trask added. “It was good experience I can put under my belt.”
Only Kyle Trask Time if Baker Mayfield Can’t Go, Analyst Says
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds speculates that the Buccaneers will only go with Trask if Mayfield is too injured to play.
“Mayfield may not be the answer for the Bucs past this year, but Trask may not be, either,” Reynolds wrote on Monday. “And until the Bucs are officially out of the playoff hunt, I don’t see Trask taking over. While fans and perhaps the front office might be curious to see if Trask could be the answer at quarterback moving forward, Mayfield is a team captain and has the respect of all the players.”
“They all want to win now and try to make the playoffs,” Reynolds added. “Yanking Mayfield out of the starting lineup now likely won’t spark the offense because of Trask’s inexperience, and it could cause a division in the locker room while the Bucs are still alive in the postseason hunt.”
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Kyle Trask Could Replace Baker Mayfield After Injury: Analysis