Getty Tom Brady could sit at some point in Week 18, which could pave the way for second-year quarterback Kyle Trask.
With Tampa Bay Buccaneers set for the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, it behooves the team to make a critical move at quarterback sooner than later against the Atlanta Falcons.
Heavy NFL insider Matt Lombardo wrote that “it wouldn’t be surprising” if the Bucs give “the bulk of the snaps” to second-year quarterback Kyle Trask. While Tom Brady will start in a game with no bearing on playoff seeding, the Bucs “have the opportunity to get a very real look at a very possible future“.
“Both from the perspective of keeping Brady healthy, as well as getting a glimpse of his potential successor, the Buccaneers would be wise to give Trask the bulk of snaps against the Falcons,” Lombardo added.
Brady, 45, took every offensive snap in the first 16 games, but the Bucs have “uncertainty facing Brady’s future” after this season, Lombardo noted. Brady could retire or leave as a free agent.
Trask, the Bucs’ second-round pick in 2021, hasn’t seen any regular season game action in his short career. The Bucs have hardly activated him for game days during that span, and his preseason results had mixed results.
He also didn’t surpass backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert in training camp — albeit Gabbert has 11 years of experience and numerous career starts. It looks possible that Gabbert will play after Brady against the Falcons, but Trask only “has a good chance of dressing”, according to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles in a Wednesday, January 4, press conference.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Trask, the Bucs have been linked to college quarterbacks in April’s draft if Brady moves on. Trask getting a shot against the Falcons could help the Bucs determine if an early-round pick for a quarterback this April is necessary.
Todd Bowles on Kyle Trask: ‘He’s Going to be Ready’
As the wait for Trask wears on the Bucs fan base, Bowles believes good things are coming for the former Florida star.
“Since he’s been here, every time I look out my window, he’s out there working on something,” Bowles said on Wednesday. “He has the greatest resolve and toughness and inner strength of almost any person I’ve seen with a young guy coming out. He prepares every day and when his time comes, he’s going to be ready because I see him working at it every day.”
It’s not new for Trask. He waited until his final two seasons at Florida to land the starting job, and he played backup role throughout high school before that.
Trask emerged as a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior at Florida, and he guided the Gators to the SEC Championship Game in 2020. He shined as a senior at Manvel, Texas, when he played with 10 touchdowns versus no interceptions on 47-64 passing for 759 yards.
“It’s kind of been my M.O. my whole career,” Trask told reporters on Wednesday. “That’ always been a big thing for me … preparation. It kind of translates to this level, too. Just stick to the grind and wait for my shot and be ready when it comes.”
Kyle Trask Soaks in Mentoring While Waiting
While Trask waits and prepares, he has the GOAT to learn from and two other veteran NFL quarterbacks.
“He’s been a great mentor,” Trask told reporters about Brady on Wednesday, “and along with Ryan Griffin and Blaine. They’ve kind of taken me under their wing and taught me a lot of things — kind of just the ins and outs of being a pro whether that’s on the field or off the field.
“I’m definitely very appreciative to be in the [quarterback] room that I’m in, and I’m just trying to learn as much as I can while I’m in the situation,” Trask added.