Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Kyle Trask is continuing his tour of the NFC South.
After spending four seasons in Tampa Bay from 2021-24, Trask spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons and has now signed with the Carolina Panthers. Before landing in Carolina, he worked out for the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason.
The former second-round pick is quietly carving out a nice career as a journeyman backup quarterback despite never making an NFL start. Throughout his career, Trask has appeared in just seven regular-season games, completing 4-of-11 passes for 28 yards.
Kyle Trask teams up with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Dave Canales on Carolina Panthers
Trask’s connection with the Panthers made this a natural fit. He’ll reunite with head coach Dave Canales, who was his offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers during the 2023 season. Calling the plays will be offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who was also in Tampa Bay with Canales, working as the team’s wide receivers coach.
That offseason, Tampa Bay held a quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Trask.
Mayfield ultimately won the job, but Canales made his belief in Trask abundantly clear during the competition.
“If you watch Kyle’s film and you throw on any of the games across the league, you’ll see this is a real talent — this is a real starting-level talent at quarterback. He just has [calmness] in the pocket, he’s accurate and he just stays cool throughout the whole thing -- good or bad series, he’s right back on it. Pretty cool,” Canales said in 2023.
The move comes after undrafted rookie Haynes King suffered a hamstring injury, leaving Carolina in need of another quarterback for its preseason roster.
King put on a show during the Hall of Fame Game earlier this week, scoring a game-winning touchdown rush to start the NFL preseason with a bang.
Considering how much King flashed, it’s likely Carolina would like to stick with him when he returns from injury. Veteran Kenny Pickett is in the room as well, so Trask’s signing doesn’t necessarily guarantee him a prolonged stint with the Panthers.
In fact, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
At the same time, Trask brings an established relationship with Canales and a thorough knowledge of the offensive system, so he can’t be ruled out. At the very least, Trask could use any preseason playing time he gets as an audition for other opportunities around the NFL.
As a bckup quarterback still fighting to stick in the NFL, he’s at the stage of his career where every opportunity counts, because it could be his last.
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