Jason Licht Talks Sitdown With Kyle Trask
August 30th, 2025
Joe posted this during the Florida Gators’ opening game against Long Island University to spare Gators fans a little agita. Joe figured it was a good time with Florida leading 41-0.
Buccaneeers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht cut quarterback Kyle Trask early this week, a move that stunned a lot of Trask fans, as well as media that doesn’t dabble in reality.
The Bucs didn’t sign veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater on Aug. 5 and run him out with the first-team offense 11 days later just for fun. Bridgewater looked like a starting quarterback against Pittsburgh starters and Trask’s fate was sealed. Simple as that.
But what stunned Joe about the Trask ousting is the Bucs appeared to have no interest in putting Trask on their practice squad.
And as of today, Trask is a man without a team, a steep and perplexing tumble considering the Bucs re-signed Trask in March with guaranteed money.
Consider what Licht told WDAE radio on Wednesday.
“At the end of the day you just got to be honest with him and be real, and let him know this is why we went with Teddy [Bridgewater]; this is why we went with [rookie] Connor [Bazelak] on the practice squad,” Licht said of his cut-day chat with Trask.
“And without giving specifics of it, [Trask] was very appreciative of the candidness and he handled it like a complete pro. You know, I don’t think his journey is over whatsoever. He’s been one if you go back all the way to high school, he’s been one that’s been an underdog, that’s fought through adversity. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come out on a high note to end his career.”
Damn, Licht sure implied that Bazelak has more value to the Bucs organization than Trask. And no, Joe does not think Bazelak is an NFL-level player, though he sure improved throughout training camp and preseason.
Hard, hard landing for 27-year-old Trask. Joe hopes Trask found his way to Gainesville today to be among his faithful.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:35 pm
Seemed like a sound decision by the team to let him go, but you have to feel for him. I hope a team picks him up, but I doubt it would be for anything other than a practice squad spot. Maybe Cleveland could us another QB. LOL
August 30th, 2025 at 9:38 pm
Oh boy – here we go…
Trask was given every opportunity to succeed. In fact, he did succeed. He was a backup QB in the nfl for 4 years (and probably more). Good for him. Wishing him the best.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
What in the world is agita?
August 30th, 2025 at 9:47 pm
Is ballsack really better than him? I don’t care either way, they both suck and so does Bridegewater
August 30th, 2025 at 9:48 pm
Why is anyone still talking about Trask?
August 30th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
Still a bit stunned. While Trask did not light up the field there was a lot of institutional knowledge of the Bucs there. He was Brady’s backup, and while that meant he would only see the field in the event of injury you would think the Bucs could have traded him for at least a draft pick, if nothing else. I wish Teddy well in his backup role, just would rather have gotten something for Trask other than outright release.
Is Trask really that less qualified and less able than all 32 practice squad QB’s?
August 30th, 2025 at 10:04 pm
It’s a moment in time. Tomorrow is another day. No different than Bridgewater. People ask why Trask has not been signed. Go back about a month and you could ask the same question of Bridgewater. Now he’s sitting second seat. This forum in last couple weeks has been unlike I have ever seen it before, The venom directed toward a single player for no objective reason has been bizarre, really bizarre. Like..not healthy.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Something off about this whole situation. Trask going into year 5 never once played with the ones. Teddy 2 gloves given that opportunity after 11 days. Odd to draft a qb in the 2nd and never once see what you have in a game situation.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:33 pm
Agita is acid indigestion in Italian.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:36 pm
Probably asked him if he wanted to join the coaching staff. Lots of bench warmers have become great coaches.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:37 pm
If Mayfield or Bridgewater gets injured, will they really bring up Bazelak to be the backup if the starter goes down?
August 30th, 2025 at 10:49 pm
They went with Bridgewater because of his experience and they felt that if needed he would give them a better chance to succeed if Baker gets hurt. That doesn’t mean Kyle won’t get another chance somewhere nor does it mean he won’t succeed. Licht doesn’t seem like a bs kind of guy and he seems to think Kyle has a future. We should all wish him success.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:52 pm
Trask had enough time to prove to the Bucs he was good enough to stay around. Even when Baker arrived, he had another chance. I was one of those that believed in Trask but I think you get to a point wherr they have seen enough and ultimately found a better player to replace him.
August 30th, 2025 at 11:17 pm
A lot of QBs didn’t play well in their first year playing in the NFL and need to play a season or more to develop.
Trask didn’t have that chance playing behind Brady and then Baker, so that really stunted his growth and development as an NFL QB.
It would be interesting to see him get an opportunity elsewhere and see what he could do. He may have to wait a while until some QBs get injured.
August 30th, 2025 at 11:19 pm
Oscar Says:
August 30th, 2025 at 10:33 pm
Agita is acid indigestion in Italian.
Dude, that’s one of the funniest posts I’ve read. Bravissimo!
August 30th, 2025 at 11:20 pm
PS – yes Trask really is worse than all 32 3rd stringers in the NFL. It’s why he’s unemployed.
August 30th, 2025 at 11:20 pm
trask called grif………and not even grif would take his calls 🙂
August 30th, 2025 at 11:24 pm
I thought maybe the raiders, Canales or Coen would give him a chance. They got to see him for at least a year. That seems to make it clear the effort was not there or the NFL is too much for him. Either way he is a millionaire. He will be fine.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:21 am
That is a scary thought if Baker gets hurt and Bazelak is the backup, Teddy is pretty injury prone himself, good way to get a HC fired, so there is that lol
August 31st, 2025 at 1:09 am
Ballzsack is going to have to improve at an incredible rate – although I will give him credit, like Joe said, he did improve. Although it was mostly just throwing one pass, the same over the middle 7 yard pass, which honestly is one I could even make, so I wouldn’t get too excited by that one play. His college tape is what concerned me the most, just watching the guy, if it was a 0-100 Madden rating for accuracy, he’d be at around a 48 – where as a normal NFL backup is probably around a 70. The guy is wild, he’d badly miss a throw for every decent throw he made. We did see that in the preseason as well – go outside that 7 yard over the middle pass, and look at the end of his passing chart, and it’s not great — BUT, in the Bills game, that was the best he’s looked, so again, there’s improvement.
But give me a break that he’s better than Trask, or a better prospect, that’s nonsense. I have no idea what is going on, if Trask knocked up a relative of Bowles or something, but something is up.
August 31st, 2025 at 2:15 am
Behind the scenes people…. probably know some stuff we’ll never know. It is what it is and im leaving it alone after this, but good luck to him.
August 31st, 2025 at 3:03 am
The way they did Trask he didn’t have time to land anywhere else. The Raiders traded for Kenny Pickett, who actually has quite a bit of ‘real game’ experience and a 15-10 record as a STARTER in this league. Everybody had already had their OWN ‘QB-battles’ and depth charts already set, by the time Trask was released. It makes ZERO sense to re-sign a guy (counting against the cap), & then keeping Ballzsack, who we all know can’t play. Trask had just TWO damn incompletions in his last game with the Bucs (when not accounting for the 2-DROPS by Kam Johnson). We’ll prob never know what he could do. Some guys are just not good ‘practice’ players, but somehow, show up with their very best when the ‘lights’ are their brightest. You hear it all the time. I just heard a coach talking about this just the other day, about his QB, too! The QB when asked about it (while a little embarrassed) tried downplaying that, but did mostly admit it… Though, he didn’t have very much of an explanation for why. So, who knows!? No one does.
August 31st, 2025 at 4:18 am
I agree with Melvin Junior and rod Munch. He is for better than bezzellac and way more upside than lowwater lol. Something smells like rotten fish in Tampa. Shame in both Jason and bowles
August 31st, 2025 at 4:39 am
He hasn’t evolved physically in 4 years.
He looks like he’s been coasting as a rookie.
He looked weak out there. And his arm looked weak.
Teddy looked like a legit 1st round QB.
August 31st, 2025 at 4:55 am
Nicely done interview. Licht said the quiet part out loud about Teddy and Connor. We all sort of knew and there it is.
I feel bad for Kyle, however he had a long run and made some money. He would be a solid high school football coach and teacher.
Laughing, haven’t heard “agita” since childhood. Memories. One of my grandmothers was from Northern Italy.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:13 am
The world needs ditch diggers too!
August 31st, 2025 at 6:38 am
I’m assuming Griz was on board with the move to release Kyle. Don’t think the Bucs management staff would undermine their new OC if he really wanted as the backup.
Nice that Jason talked with him. I wish Kyle the best and who knows… maybe he’ll get a real shot to play somewhere.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:46 am
If neither Jax nor Carolina picks him up, safe to say his NFL time is over
August 31st, 2025 at 7:40 am
…with Florida leading 41-0.”
This is why I never pay any attention to college football, and why the story about Trask happened to us and will happen a thousand times again. 41-0?!! How do you know if you’re team is any good, or if any individual players are any good? When the dads on the neighborhood street play basketball against their 7 year old sons, who do you think is going to win? The staged parade that is college football doesn’t prove jack sh!%, much less make for anything even remotely entertaining to watch. And that absurdity is just repeated for 4 years until draft day, and then all of the sudden Trask is on the board in the second round and your team has no fu@&ing clue whether he’s any good, even though he’s “played” 4 years in college.
August 31st, 2025 at 8:33 am
No surprise to me. Just sayin’
August 31st, 2025 at 8:41 am
I believe his problem is speed. Not speed of foot but processing speed. This is the NFL A QB needs to read defenses before the snap, make adjustments after the snap, and go through your progressions before some edge or linebacker knocks the spit out of you! BM6 does that in less than 2.8 seconds!! KT not so much! Reality!
August 31st, 2025 at 8:45 am
If the guy could play, he’d be playing. Trask is not on a team and Tommy Divito was signed immediately after he got cut. Kyle is a good and nice person but he’s not a NFL quarterback. I like that this website tells what they see vs the outfit begging for money on YouTube or that work for a dead form of media that pander to the fans of the school in Gainesville.
August 31st, 2025 at 9:03 am
Let’s not get carried away with Bridgewater, he averages less the 10 TD’s a season. He’s average at best.
August 31st, 2025 at 9:24 am
OK Jason did him a favor.
Trask has rge wrong style of play for this offense
. Baselak does
August 31st, 2025 at 9:26 am
Kid is a good dude and average QB, no harm in that…but its hard for me to feel any remorse, when I’m busting my ass in the heat and rain delivering the mail 60 hrs a week, and Kyle has made $8 million for wearing a baseball hat and holding a clipboard for 5 years…he’s fine
August 31st, 2025 at 9:26 am
Trask is capable. So capable in fact, that he has been “picked up” by…………..Waiting
August 31st, 2025 at 9:37 am
So , Mayfield throws five interceptions in one practice, Fumbles the football running down the field on one play when no one had touched him, loses it when a rookie blocks one of his passes , but it’s Kyle who was “inconsistent “ having thrown almost no interceptions and had no fumbles all summer and hadn’t thrown an interception in practice games in three years , throwing only to back ups who often did not know what routes they were supposed to run and Kyle had to wait to see where they went, standing behind a third string offensive line and still did not throw any interceptions or fumble, while Mayfield led the league in turnovers, but it was Kyle who was the “ inconsistent” one? I call BS ! It seems they did not want another quarterback controversy and were protecting their insane 50 million dollar contract to their reclamation project, ( if any other person , in any other field ,was given 50 million dollars to improve their product and there was no improvement , they would have been fired!) , but , it was given to a journeyman quarterback fired from three other team who has not produced any improvement in our finishes since he has been here , choking and knocking us out of playoff games two years in a row , then they double down by bringing in another journeyman quarterback , himself fired from seven previous teams , as his backup and putting a rookie on the practice squad who Joe himself had said was not very good! And this all started after Mayfield had hurt his hand and Kyle finally got a chance to play with the starters for a couple of days and it was reported on another site that during those practices the team looked the best it had all summer! That would never do! They really did not want another quarterback controversy which was bubbling up , one article calling Mayfield and Trask one of the best starter/ backup combinations in the league! They had to protect their investment , ( and their jobs), and that was when the “inconsistent” line about Kyle was put out, it’s not the first time management has attempted to protect themselves by using players as a scapegoat, it probably won’t be the last , but it still stinks.
August 31st, 2025 at 9:45 am
Let me bottom line this for everyone including the Joes, because it’s been clear for a while why Trask is in this situation. Trask was an Arians pick. A guy I would trust above anyone on this staff with selecting a QB over the current staff. Keeping Connor over Trask is the tell, because he sucks. He only looked accurate with 4th and 5th string defenses out there, and even then was occasionally way off. Trask was never Bowles guy. Period. Even when he clearly outplayed Baker in the Year of Canales. Bowels kept Trask around only long enough to find someone else who fits his mold – guys who can run around all over the place. We saw what he did with the one year of Brady (some of that was obviously tied back to the things going on in Brady’s life, but Brady wasn’t a Bowles type QB either).
Trask never had a chance with Bowles, no matter what. I’m sure Trask will eventually get a backup opportunity, but who know if he’ll ever get to start and show what he can actually do on game day like it took for him to get his chance with the Gators. Imagine the NFL world had Bledsoe never gotten injured? That’s the NFL.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:03 am
I have no dog in this fight, I really was rooting for the guy. Truth be told from the outside looking in he sorta lacked leadership skills, (just my observation) he has those “Far Away Eyes”.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:31 am
Timing in life matters. Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the 2022 draft and by virtue of being a first-round pick, he had every opportunity to win the starting job in Pittsburgh. Great timing! Trask, on the other hand, was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft after five other quarterbacks were selected in the first round AND he was drafted by a team that didn’t need a quarterback. You talk about bad timing! If Trask had been in the 2022 draft, I have no doubt he would have been a first-round pick, and then we’d know if he was a starting caliber NFL quarterback. You can’t tell me Pickett was a better quarterback prospect than Trask. He just had an opportunity to play early, which his why Pickett is still employed as a back-up and Trask is waiting for a phone call. Poor timing.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:35 am
Hoping Mayfield can stay upright for the most part but sure glad we’ve got Bridgewater. I’m just aggravated a little bit that Trask has been the backup these last 2 years. I thought he must be serviceable and trusted the staff over what I was seeing. Which was a less than capable QB. I think in the only bowl game Trask started at Florida he choked as bad as any QB in college football that year. He wasn’t a good player and they should have gotten rid of him a few years ago.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:43 am
He has millions$ to help comfort him. He will be ok. Go Bowles!
August 31st, 2025 at 11:12 am
The reason Trask was released is the same reason why they never let him play with the ones. They didn’t want a QB controversy and knew that Kyle would outperform Baker if he played with the starters. They wanted to unite the fan base.
August 31st, 2025 at 11:21 am
There are some hyperdelusional morons who love themselves a conspiracy theory.
Trask wouldn’t have been Arians guy either. He earned his unemployment. Five training camps. That’s how much work the coaches saw. THat’s quite a body of work. The fact that schmoes on this site never saw him with the first team in a real game (except for when Baker went out and Kyle failed of course) is fortunate.
He sucks. Bowles, Griz, and Jason all know. They saw what “we” have in Trask.
Get a blankie and a pacifier and go cry more about the Great Trask Suppression Conspiracy. Next, make the case for why the earth is flat.
Maroons.
August 31st, 2025 at 11:29 am
Never seen so much stupidity over a guy who never got a chance to play despite what the morons think. He was a back up but listening to the these losers you would of thought the guy started for us for a decade and finished in the basement every year.
August 31st, 2025 at 11:39 am
I’ll have to admit, the Traskies like JD and Falconrap (what’s he doing here?) sound rather delusional today. Hope it passes like the flu.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Don’t worry yourself sick there BucsFan in Oregon it’s not going to pass , delusional is when you have never seen Kyle ,( or anyone else for that matter , play but follow the other sheep in denigrating his abilities , now that is delusional or just plain following the crowd ), there’s an old saying about elephants in a parade , if you’re not the lead elephant your view , or in this case , your opinion, never changes, tunnel vision if You will . No , we are going to be watching every game , every play , every fumble, every turnover , every choke , every bone head decision and every lost opportunity along with every success because We are fans of the team , have been every year since the beginning , and making sure that balance and fairness to every member of the team and their play, is expressed, if We don’t , all you will have to go on is the view of the backside of the lead elephant.
August 31st, 2025 at 12:39 pm
The cope it pretty wild and lee if trask had the talent then yes Todd would have bet on trask in his first year as a head coach he just did t have the consistency did he have some ok plays sure but was he impressive not really. At any rate wish him the best, go bucs.
August 31st, 2025 at 1:21 pm
BucsfaninOregon Says:
August 31st, 2025 at 11:39 am
I’ll have to admit, the Traskies like JD and Falconrap (what’s he doing here?) sound rather delusional today. Hope it passes like the flu.
_________
Do I need to explain again that my name on here is my gamertag? I’m not a Falcons fan. I’m born and raised in the Bay Area and a Bucs fan for life. And I’m not delusional. Trask was a threat to Mayfield and wasn’t a Bowles pick (he likes mobile QB’s). That’s why he’s gone. Has nothing to do with who’s better. I can go back…again…and show how many below average to poor games Mayfield has every year (they are more than is average to above average games), but I’d just be pissing in the wind. Trask was never going to get a real shot at the job because of Bowles. Period. Only injury was going to get him in there.
August 31st, 2025 at 1:34 pm
My god, the Trask fan club is insufferable.
The coaches saw what they had. Nothing. There is no conspiracy. Occam’s razor – the simplest explanation is likely the correct one.
The fact that literally none of the coaches or gms that have seen Trask – Brady/Spytek, Coen or Canales even bothered with him. You’d think Spytek would have inquired with Licht about Trask’s status before acquiring Pickett. Obviously didn’t happen. If he was this giant untapped superstar some of you think he is, Coen or Canales would have found a way to make room. Also hasn’t happened.
August 31st, 2025 at 2:21 pm
Todd Bowles likes veteran quarterbacks and that’s why Trask didn’t get a chance. To be honest even the picture that’s being shown right now was during a interview after the practice by Tampa meadi and at that time they had stop interviewing Baker because they even though Trask going to be the starter that year because of what was going in training camp at the time. Baker has 9 picks to Kyle Trask 1. I think the Joe’s put up the wrong picture and they just showed you who was the better quarterback in 2023 training camp . Lol 🤣🤣🤣 but at the same time it’s NFC Championship or bust no more excuses for Baker Mayfield or Todd Bowles and his defenses.
August 31st, 2025 at 2:26 pm
And let’s not forget that we have coach that went after Ryan Fitzpatrick to be his future quarterback that’s all y’all need to know to see what kind of head coach we have . Now you tell me how can anyone think we can win a Superbowl with a head coach like Bowles ? Lol 🤣
August 31st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Trask should have never been drafted by the Buccaneers in the first place. Imagine a world where we have Tom Brady and most of our starters coming back from a superbowl run, and we invest that 2nd round draft capital into much needed depth at ANY position.
Could’ve had Nico Collins or Amon St-Brown. Quinn Meinerz.
Honestly we whiffed in so many directions… imagine no Joe Tryon and get Tyson Campbell… or Barmore… Jevon Holland…
oh the what ifs lol
August 31st, 2025 at 3:49 pm
Well I agree with Oneilbuc about Bleows
August 31st, 2025 at 4:21 pm
Seems like we’re beating the Trask release to death. The powers that be (JL & TB) obviously didn’t feel that if Mayfield goes down, Trask could grab the reins & still lead us to a Super Bowl (THAT is our stated goal BTW & we’re in the conversation).
With a solid team under him, Teddy Bridgewater has shown that he can lead. He had a winning record (17-11) with the Vikings in his first 2 years before going down with a catastrophic injury in his 3rd year (then being replaced). Had a winning record (5-1) with the Saints in his next 2 years after his recovery, filling in for Drew Brees. But then he went to Carolina & the rest became history. Still a very accurate passer (career 66.4% completions), jut not with the deep ball.
August 31st, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Trask is here 4 years and Bridgewater beats him out in 11 days. What does that tell you. Also if Baker goes down the season is over. Stop kidding yourselves. I understand Trask could not grasp the playbook. If he was even half way decent, Canales or Coen would have snapped him up for the veteran minimum.
August 31st, 2025 at 5:50 pm
trasketeers been whipped into a frenzy!
August 31st, 2025 at 7:36 pm
Lol 🤣 you mean if Mike Evans goes down and Bucky Irvin and we lose another receiver it’s over because they’re the reason why Baker Mayfield has played good and we have 3 other teams that showed that.
August 31st, 2025 at 10:03 pm
In the preseason this year, Teddy looked better with the first team than Trask looked with the also rans. No surprise there.
I think Trask looked better with the second and third team last year because of the OC. Grizz was unable to call effective plays to compensate for the porous OL.
I’m think right now Grizz is in over his head, and the offense this preseason showed it with very inconsistant performances. The one full half Trask played had Grizz ‘experimenting’ with calling plays from the box.
Under Grizz and with Wirfs out, I am afraid the Bucs offense will continue to underperform, and will disappoint the Trask haters with a 1-3 start. But hey, you beat Alabama!
August 31st, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Traskophiles – maybe when a new league is formed you’ll see your love interest holding a clipboard again. He did not beat mayfield in the competition. How do I know? Because Mayfield started, is starting and will start, and with a defense that could even get within 5 yards of a receiver, would have more playoff wins under his belt.
It’s a results oriented business. Who is Kyle holding the clipboard for now? LOL! He’s not even good enough to hold a clipboard now.
Take a midol and hug your blankies .
September 1st, 2025 at 12:33 am
Does the CFL still exist?