3 Buccaneers players who are turning heads at training camp
By Brad Smith
QB Zack Annexstad
Behind all of the headlines surrounding starting quarterback Baker Mayfield's second season in Tampa Bay, the Bucs' backup quarterbacks have flown under the radar this offseason. Over the next couple weeks, Tampa Bay's three other quarterbacks will battle it out to secure the presumed two remaining quarterback roster spots left at the final roster cut deadline on August 29.
Last season, veteran John Wolford and former 2020 second-round pick Kyle Trask battled all season to be Mayfield's primary backup, in which Trask secured but appeared in just three games and threw one pass. Trask is younger and cheaper than Wolford, and is listed as Tampa Bay's QB2 on the Buccaneers' depth chart on ESPN.
That said, the Bucs added a fourth quarterback to their room this offseason in Zack Annexstad. Annexstad, an undrafted free agent out from Illinois State, who was one of the premiere quarterbacks in the FCS during his two seasons as a Redbird.
In his first year with the team, Annexstad completed 62.8% of his passes for 1,691 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, along with a team-leading four rushing touchdowns in eight starts. That season, Annexstad was named as a Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) All-Newcomer as well as a MVFC first-team All-Academic Selection.
As a Senior, Annexstad was much improved, throwing for 2,114 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions on 69.7% completion in nine starts, while finishing sixth in the FCS for completions per game and seventh in completion percentage. Annexstad was named selected as a First Team All-MVFC Academic and FCS Academic All-Star.
As of July 22, Annexstad was placed on the active/non-football injury list by Tampa Bay, per the NFL's transaction log. With that, Annexstad can be activated at any point throughout training camp or the preseason, once able to practice. The nature of his injury remains undisclosed, but the quarterback did struggle with multiple injuries during his time at Illinois State.