Kyle Trask bluntly addresses his uncertain future with Buccaneers

Now that training camp is officially upon us, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hard at work finalizing their final 53-man roster.

At some positions, like wide receiver and cornerback, the Bucs have important decisions to make about who to give roster spots to and who to cut by August 31st.

At other positions, it's safe to say Tampa Bay has their undisputed starters for next season, including quarterback. For a second straight season, Baker Mayfield will hold the QB1 keys after an excellent debut season that was highlighted by winning the Most Improved Player of the Year Award, his first Pro Bowl nod, and leading the Bucs to the NFC Divisional round.

Behind the star play of Mayfield, the Buccaneers didn't have any need to resort to veteran John Wolford and former 2020 second-round pick Kyle Trask, their backup quarterbacks, through the season. Unless Mayfield suffers a key injury or doesn't play well, then Tampa Bay's quarterback situation in 2024 will be similar to last year's.

On ESPN, Trask is currently listed as the primary backup to Mayfield in the depth chart, followed by Wolford as QB3. Even so, Trask only appeared in just three games and threw one pass last season, a recurring theme for the backup during his time in the NFL.

Kyle Trask addressed his uncertain future with Buccaneers at training camp

Trask, the No. 64 pick in the 2021 draft, was expected to be the successor to Tom Brady after he led the Bucs to a Super Bowl LV win that season. Instead, Brady played two more seasons with the Buccaneers, and Trask didn't take a single NFL snap within his first three seasons in the league, and has just taken 13 career snaps in the NFL.

"Obviously, there’s a lot of things that can happen in the near future, career-wise," Trask said, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. "That’s pretty known, but I’m really trying to focus on getting better every day because whatever happens, wherever any of us end up, we have to focus on getting better. That’s all that matters at the end of the day. I’m not looking that far into the future because we’re one team, trying to get ready for a new season."

Now 26 years old, Trask is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is set to become a free agent next March.

"I’ve been in that situation … and it’s not easy," Mayfield said about Trask. "Only one guy can play. The quarterback room is so important in terms of how the chemistry is in there and how we all get along. Kyle handles it the right way. In that position, you have to stay ready. You might not get as many reps, but you have to be professional about it. All you can do is put the work in."

Amid's Tampa Bay's midseason slump with a poor 4-7 start, there were calls to bench Mayfield and slot Trask in as the starter for the rest of the season. Instead, head coach Todd Bowles opted to keep Mayfield as the starter, a decision that resulted in the Bucs winning five of their last six games and clinch their third straight NFC South division title.

This offseason, Mayfield signed a three-year, $100 million deal with Tampa Bay, keeping the veteran quarterback a Buccaneer through the 2026-2027 season. Barring an injury to Mayfield, 2024 could mark Trask's final year in Tampa Bay, as the five-year quarterback may look elsewhere to compete for a starting job.

"I feel the energy," Trask said. "I’m very blessed to have support from the Buccaneer fan base and a shoutout to the Gator fan base. That’s a beautiful thing. For me, it’s all about improving. You have to compare yourself to what you were yesterday. No matter what happens, getting better puts you on the right track."

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