Todd Bowles announces Kyle Trask will compete for Tampa Bay backup quarterback job

As Tom Brady is set to return for another season with Tampa Bay, new head coach Todd Bowles spoke about Kyle Trask‘s spot on the depth chart. Entering his second season at the professional level, Trask’s own quarterback coach said he doesn’t see Trask competing for the backup spot behind Brady with Blaine Gabbert on the roster.

However, Bowles spoke on the possibility for Trask to earn the job, indicating that the backup quarterback battle has not yet been decided.

Kyle Trask fighting for backup role with Tampa Bay

Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen said earlier in the week that he didn’t see Kyle Trask competing for the backup position this season.

“He could do it, but the odds are stacked against you,” Christensen said via ProFootballTalk.

However, despite Christensen’s honesty on his opinion, Bowles made comments as well indicating that the Buccaneers have yet to decide on their full depth chart.

“There’s competition everywhere, so there will be competition at that spot as well,” Bowles said. “[Gabbert] finished the season at No. 2. We like Blaine. Trask is going to get his chance to play and compete and if he’s better, he’ll be No. 2. If he’s not, he won’t be. But he will have a chance to compete. He knows that, and everybody knows that.”

Trask was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers after a phenomenal final year at Florida. Similar to his NFL beginning, Trask waited his turn to take over with the Gators, seeing no action his first two years with the school. In his third season as a redshirt sophomore he played in four games as a backup but saw his season end early with an injury.

In 2019, he got his shot as the starting quarterback after an injury sidelined Feleipe Franks. Unusually, it was his first start at quarterback since his freshman year of high school — as he was backup to D’Eriq King after his freshman year.

In 2020, his fifth year with Florida, Trask threw for 4,283 yards and 43 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Florida finished the season with an 8-4 record, and Trask was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.