Bucs Remain Undecided On Quarterback Roster Spots

August 21st, 2025

Is this goodbye?

Todd Bowles was clear today that he doesn’t know if the Bucs will keep two or three quarterbacks.

That means Saturday could be Kyle Trask’s last game as a Buccaneer. It’s Trask’s fifth year and the team doesn’t know if he’ll make the opening day roster? Joe’s not sure the Bucs are being forthright.

Opening day is 17 days away and fellow backup Teddy Bridgewater is coming off a stellar preseason start with the first-team offense.

Bowles said Trask likely will start Saturday against the Bills. There won’t be any starters on the Bucs’ side of the field, and probably none on Buffalo’s side.

Joe feels badly for Trask playing behind the Bucs’ weak second-string offensive line. Hopefully, he can rise above that group and show the team he’s worth keeping.

68 Responses to “Bucs Remain Undecided On Quarterback Roster Spots”

  1. jimbo Says:

    At least he doesn’t get receivers killed.

  2. Coburn Says:

    Or maybe they’re not sure they’re keeping Bridgewater. I think keeping 3 is generally wise though. Mayfield plays pretty physical..if he goes down you’re scrambling for a backup to whoever is playing

  3. SB~LV Says:

    I think they have their eyes on the 4PM wire next Tuesday for a replacement for Trask. Bridgewater has the #2 spot for this season.

  4. MikeBuc Says:

    Not buying it. They are keeping bridgewater and if you do given his issues you need a third. He can go down easier than Baker will.

    in addition with Jaeln on Ir you have an extra spot

  5. DailyRich Says:

    With all the other injuries, we may not have the roster space for a 3rd QB.

  6. Durango 95 Says:

    Publicly vacillating between 2 or 3 QB’s on the final 53 is likely not a good sign for Trask. After the way they jerked him around it might be better for him if he finds another team. Providing the Bucs haven’t screwed his head up permanently. Not a good look for Bowles. Always viewd CTB as a man of honor but after last Saturday…well, not so sure.

  7. geno711 Says:

    Personally, I take the comment from Bowles that he does not know if he is keeping 2 or 3 quarterbacks this way.

    If he keeps 2: Baker and Trask.
    If he keeps 3: Baker, Trask, and Bridgewater.

    But I do recognize the possibility that Joe has stated.

  8. heyjude Says:

    Yikes, this is big news!

    Very glad to hear that there will be no starters playing this weekend, and possibly the same on the Bills too. Hoping the best for Kyle. Whether he stays or goes. Good guy, and may do much better on another team.

    Unsure who we could get to replace him. Maybe trade Kyle to the Browns for Shedeur and let him be mentored by both Baker and Teddy. Keep Shilo on the practice team.

  9. LakelandBuc Says:

    Teddy is coming off a stellar performance with the 1st team
    Against the Steelers backups, let’s get that clear

    I’m not sold on Teddy or Trask

  10. buc4evr Says:

    Unless Trask throws for two TDs against the Bills, Teddy is #2. I think it comes down to WRs and how many the Bucs are keeping. Trask could be out or on the practice squad…

  11. 813bucboi Says:

    should keep 3

    GO BUCS!!!!

  12. El hefe Says:

    Teddy is not the play

  13. Hodad Says:

    Stellar Joe? He was 6 – 11, that’s about 55% completion. Teddy is Todd’s boy, Trask to the trash. Only question is does he even make the PS. Teddy isn’t starting Saturday, because they don’t want to get their new backup QB injured.

  14. Jmarkbuc Says:

    Bridgewater was 50 % completion percentage, and that’s with JMac managing to hang on to a hospital ball.

    Stellar is an overstatement.

    They’ll keep 3

  15. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    They’ve wanted Teddy for a few seasons. They finally got him, so Trask’s days as a Buc are numbered.

    They’ll cut him…and he’ll hopefully get some starts elsewhere and find a team that believes in him.

    Would be ironic though, if he goes to an NFC team, starter gets injured and Trask leads them to the playoffs…where they knock the Bucs out in the championship game.

    It’s possible. Maybe not likely, but possible.

  16. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    If teddy gets any playing time in the regular season? Expect an injury.

  17. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Hodad Says:
    “Stellar Joe? He was 6 – 11, that’s about 55% completion. Teddy is Todd’s boy, Trask to the trash. Only question is does he even make the PS. Teddy isn’t starting Saturday, because they don’t want to get their new SUPER FRAGILE INJURY PRONE backup QB injured.”

    You left a few words out 😉

  18. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    “fellow backup Teddy Bridgewater is coming off a stellar preseason start with the first-team offense.”

    He really isn’t. He is coming off an okay start, not stellar.

  19. ModHairKen Says:

    And Trask was “stellar” in game 1. Trask got the second string line last week. And they sucked. So he sucked.

    Bridgewater proved he can still play. But Rod Munch is right: his errant throw caused McMillan to get hurt.

    Joe, it’s beginning to seem like you do not like Trask. Just admit it.

  20. Jeffs grandpa Says:

    Clearly Trask didn’t have many options this offseason since he came here

  21. Defense Rules Says:

    Can’t see the Bucs cutting Trask, unless he’s really regressed & stunk up camp this year.

  22. Hodad Says:

    I thought we were done with DEI hiring?

  23. Jmarkbuc Says:

    Seriously Hodad?

    Surprised you didn’t mix in some “woke” reference too…

    Clown.

  24. mj Says:

    going against scrubs that got beat 38-0 should be a good test

  25. BucsfaninOregon Says:

    Great call Hodad. Work in a little politics while we are talking football. You guys are persistent at least.

  26. LakelandBuc Says:

    Edge Rushers and ILB should be the focus
    I guarantee it, when the defense start giving up 30 PPG, 400 yards passing a game. This fanbase will be crying out like a newborn, crying for milk. It don’t take a rocket scientist to our defensive needs. But then again, this fan base, is stuck on one side of the ball. It’s offense, offense, more offense. They don’t care about defense, until the losses start piling up.

    If they think this defense will be a top defense
    Then they’re blind, with an ounce of football knowledge

  27. LakelandBuc Says:

    “”It don’t take a Rocket Scientist to see our defensive needs””

    I hope it don’t happen, but the writing is on the wall

  28. BucsfaninOregon Says:

    Trask is done. What a waste of 2nd round pick. Bridgewater is simply better at his age than Trask ever will be. Trade to Browns for Sanders or Dillion Gabriel (another well coached Duck QB.

  29. mj Says:

    baker gets hurt …what if the whole season hangs on a back up qb, better keep two

  30. Fefe Says:

    Joe and Bucs Fans routinely underrate Kyle Trask. If the Bucs keeps two, the odd man out will be Bridgewater, not Trask! One mediocre to good preseason game does not negate Trask’s 5 years experience with the team and his potential!

  31. Mobucs Says:

    It’s better to be vacillating between #2 and #3 than between #1 and #2.
    Bonzai, it would be even more ironic on all sides, if Trask were to lead the Browns to the Super Bowl against the Bucs. (Even more unlikely, I concede.)

  32. Aqualung Says:

    Yawn. Traskophiles need their binkies.

  33. Buccanstopit Says:

    You all are missing the glaring problem, depth at O line. It was ridiculous that they put a pocket passer like Trask behind that no name line and expected something. It’s like a talentless manager at work putting their employees in places that are not their strength and expecting great results.

  34. Buccanstopit Says:

    Yes, that was a dig at Bowles and Grizzard

  35. Obvious One Says:

    Trask has the advantage by a long shot. He has practiced with the All of the receivers.. And knows them well. ALSO… Trask KNOWS this Offense Inside and Out! It would be CHILDISH to dismiss THAT CRITICAL FACT!

    Then again, we ARE Talking about Todd “Baby Girl Bowles who Will take his toys home so nobody else can play with them” ..

    One day Brady and Leftwich WILL TELL that story! JUST WHO’S OFFENSE RUINED TOM BRADY’S RECORD! EXACTLY WHO’S BRIGHT IDEA IT WAS TO ABANDON THE SUPER BOWL AND THEN RECORD SETTING, WINNING OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES!!!

    You HAVE TO ask yourself why would Leftwich go against Everything HE TAUGHT for THREE YEARS STRAIGHT? You’ve GOT TO ask yourself WHY WAS He so Disgruntled every time he was forced to the podium?? If it was strategies he approved of then WHY IS HE SO P.I.S.S.ED?

    You’ve GOT TO ask yourself WHY Tom Brady decide to IGNORE EVERYTHING BOWLES WAS FORCING? Why Didn’t they COMMUNICATE during games? “You Know, THE VERY THING BOWLES CONFESSES HE CAN’T GET THE DEFENSE TO DO!”

    IS HE A MAN OF HONOR?
    His reputation coming from the Jets is throwing Anybody and Everybody on his coaching staffs under the bus to save HIMSELF! He comes here and starts Immediately after he was gifted the head coaching job with Leftwich… You’ll NEVER convince me that DROPPING THE ENTIRE SUPER BOWL WINNING OFFENSIVE STRATEGY THAT LEFTWICH HELP DESIGN IN THE GARBAGE, AND THEN ALL THE SUDDEN THE “ONLY PLAY” WAS TO RUN IT UP THE MIDDLE, WAS LEFTWICH’S IDEA!!!!

    NO WAY! THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE! Arians may have tweaked what he wanted but IT WAS LEFTWICH who did ALL of the ground work and put the Offensive Plays and Strategies together! THAT IS FACT! Why Would he go Absolutely against HIS OWN TEACHINGS??? Well…. THAT WOULD BE ORDERS FROM THE “HEAD COACH”! THAT’S WHY!

    Anybody with more than one brain cell, let’s say 2, KNOWS THAT, THAT WAS BOWELS OFFENSIVE BRIGHT IDEA! NO WAY LEFTWICH CUTS HIS OWN THROAT THAT BADLY AND GOES AGAINST HIS INSTINCTS TO THAT LEVEL! NO WAY!

    But Bowles….. The ACTUAL IDIOT behind RUINING Tom Bradys Records AND SABOTAGEING THE TEAM…. LET EVERYBODY BELIEVE THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!??? THE HEAD COACH HAS/HAD NO SAY IN IT? REALLY?
    BULL S.H.I.T.!

    Is Todd Bowles Honorable? Use your best judgment and come up with your own answer.

    The Next Conversation is going to be on the topic of just how smart Todd Bowles doesn’t seem to be. Touched on lightly up top with his Notorious Decision Making capabilities and WHICH WOULD BE THE WISER PATH AS TO WHO THE #2 QB SHOULD BE…. You Know, THE SMART PLAY….. GEE I WONDER? DER UHMM…

    Then Again IN ALL FAIRNESS TO WINNING GAMES…. If Trask Folds well…. He’s Got To Go because it doesn’t matter how well he knows the system if he can’t work within it then…..
    I’m rooting for Trask this time because for some reason and I’m not sure why, I just don’t like Bridgewater and I Really Don’t like how easily he gets hurt.

    If they Really think Bridgewater is better, they Will keep three QB’s (Trask doesn’t physically break). If not they’ll keep two. Simple As That….

  36. BakerFan Says:

    ObviousOne….. you are a winner, the longest post so far this year. Hope all that made you feel better.

  37. View from 132 Says:

    Stellar start – two nice touch pass, one WR in ambulance and neck brace. The bar is low for NFL quarterbacking.

  38. 74 Bucs Fan Says:

    ObviousOne- although I didn’t read your post, I can tell that you need to take a breath and learn to relax.

  39. First Last Says:

    RodMunch on suicide watch

  40. Aqualung Says:

    Considering two roster spots are occupied by dudes who won’t be playing for a few weeks into the season, Bucs aren’t keeping 3 QBs.

    It will be interesting to see what happens. Teddy was unemployed, maybe the Bucs will believe he has a better chance of making it to the practice squad than Trask.

    Or the other way around.

  41. Stpetematt Says:

    Release a quarterback and run the risk of having him signed by a division rival. Yikes.

  42. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    Yawn. We’re keeping 3.

  43. Bojim Says:

    Man they just dont like him. Let him go to another team that wont jerk him around.

  44. MelvinJunior Says:

    Of course, he’s ‘starting’ Trask, since there are no ‘starters’ playing. Of COURSE.

  45. Hodad Says:

    Some touchy Karens on this site. Can’t take a joke, buy an emotional support dog!

  46. Brandon Says:

    Trask will start because the team doesn’t want their number 2 QB to get hurt. If Trask makes it through the game without injury, he goes to the PS unless another QB they like more is released and signed instead.

  47. California Buc Says:

    Listen, this management and coaching staff has been patient. Trask will be more important than Bridgewater before the season ends. They are not allowing him to move to the practice squad because they know that someone will pick him up.

  48. heyjude Says:

    Obvious One – Whoa! Please meditate, breathe, put on some soft music. It will be okay. Nothing has happened yet. Our coach will do what’s best for the team.

  49. Jmarkbuc Says:

    Karens are anti DEI.

    Get an education.

    Clown.

  50. JD Still Says:

    Well, you are probably right , they probably got the quarterbacks they want and most likely deserve , two journeymen quarterbacks that have been fired from ten other teams between them , and when they are not leading the league in fumbles or interceptions , they are getting their elite recievers crippled or nearly killed, now how could Kyle possibly compete with such records? I mean he hasn’t thrown an interception or fumbled in either of the preseason games, he is still leading all the quarterbacks in passing yardage and scrambling yardage , and they gave him every opportunity to join the screwups , I mean letting him play with the third teamers who didn’t even know what routes they were supposed to run so he had to wait to see where they were going , on top of being put under center, with an empty backfield ,(no backs pass blocking) , and called for him to throw the ball deep , what more opportunity to screw up could you ask for ? What more could a coach do ? And still he did not fumble or throw an interception, he even scrambled for a nine yard gain, come on Kyle! How do you ever expect to be one of the boys doing such a thing! If you don’t watch it you’re gonna be sorry , they’ll probably let you go like the did Steve Young , Doug Williams and Trent Dilfer, and all you’ll be able to do is go win a Super Bowl for some other team while Tampa increases their legendary league leading record of letting Quarterbacks go who go on to win Super Bowls for other teams.

  51. BucVoyager Says:

    No one is taking Trask off the trash heap — I mean practice squad. Once he gets cut, he can begin his coaching career.

  52. captivajim Says:

    Obvious One–thank you for someone to finally lay out the real Bowles.

  53. CaliforniaBucsFan Says:

    I also do not think Bridgewater had a stellar outing. I think the two TDs were much better catches than throws. And the high ball over the middle led to the iinjury. Trask needs to be the backup.

  54. Kenton Smith Says:

    Between Obvious One and JD Still who do you reckon you’d rather spend some time with? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Neither. Me too.

  55. Rod Munch Says:

    I never bought the idea that the team didn’t like Trask, why would they resign him if they didn’t like him. But I have no idea now. Last week was the first time we’d actually see extended playing time with the starters and they just spit in his face – and instead we saw Teddy go out and put one of our star young WRs on IR. Bowles can’t back away from that now, so he’ll almost certainly double down and just pick Bridgewater I’d assume.

    And with Wirfs and Godwin on the active roster but injured, I don’t see any way the Bucs keep 3 QBs on the active roster.

  56. Bee Says:

    If the Bucs start the season with 2 turnover prone journeyman QBs then Bowles is showing how unsavy he is. For all of you saying the coaches have seen Trask and he’s not good, keep in mind these same coaches moved AW to nickel when was a safety in college. How did that turn out?

    Its obvious Bowles doesn’t like him but won’t show the world that Trask is terrible by playing him with the starters to prove he’s right with his decision. Think about it. If Trask is so bad, show the world. If he gets released guaranteed the Saints pick him up. Then things will really get interesting.

  57. MelvinJunior Says:

    There was no reason whatsoever to extend Bowles. NONE. No one was waiting in line, for the opportunity to jump in front of the Bucs, and offering Todd ‘the job’ at the end of this season. NO ONE. Period. But, hey… it’s their money! Just thankfully, it does not effect the CAP. So, I really don’t care. They’ll just get what they deserve for trying to be ‘cute’ with Cohen.

  58. HC Grover Says:

    Bowles is set on Blooperwater.

  59. Kenton Smith Says:

    Bee, you guarantee the Saints pick him up? How much you wanna bet?

  60. MelvinJunior Says:

    After last week, if I were Trask… I would not want to be here any longer. Total. Intentional. Disrespect. Embarrassing. HE deserved that start. Teddy had not even had time to unpack yet, and HE just ‘walks-in’ like THAT, right off the ‘sidelines’ from coaching HIGH SCHOOL football, after not playing ANY ‘meaningful’ football in YEARS… Now, Come-On Man!!!! Pathetic.

  61. Durango 95 Says:

    “Teddy Bridgewater is coming off a stellar preseason start with the first-team offense.”
    ———-
    Errr. okay. This is JBF a) trolling their readership, again. b) Coming off a strong liquid lunch. (been there myself) c) Pimping for Bowles.(what else is new) But they don’t have much choice. JBF has been throwing jabs at Trask since the guy walked in the door. Kind of going the low road. Whatever, just makes them look petty and kinda weak.

    Actually Teddy didn’t have a bad outing. In fact, pretty decent. Especially for a guy that just walked in the door. Would have liked to have had in him in the fold since the beginning of camp. But he did hang his WR out to dry. Not intentionally, likely a case of rust. Doubt he would have thrown that pass when he is on his game. He also benefited TREMENDOUSLY from an amazing catch by Ebuka. (that cat is going to be amazing). Great pick, as I said at the time they drafted him.

  62. Fan of the South Says:

    Bucs can dress a third QB for games and not have it take up a roster spot.
    Regardless of who is 2 or 3 Trask is not going anywhere.

    Maybe Bowles is comfortable with a back up that has had a career of 75 TD’s and 47 INT’s or perhaps with the starting guy @ 171 and 90 career it could be a case of Birds of a Feather.

    Just wondering what happens first Teddy sporting the 5 O’ Clock shadow or Mayfield getting dreads.

  63. Buc king Says:

    New rule let’s you carry a 3rd one active on game day

  64. Buc king Says:

    Personally I feel like white qbs are smarter and better leaders…
    I would just roll with Trask and practice squad Bridgewater

  65. Durango 95 Says:

    Almost forgot. Todd Bowles. Mediocre head coach prone to making stupid decisions.

  66. Mike Says:

    I’m not sure why or understand the reason they would not let trask line up behind the starters this preseason but let Bridgewater then pull the starters out and put trask behind 3rd string players and rookies, disrespectful to a loyal player on your team.

  67. Jeff Says:

    Would be stupid to let him walk. Teddy B is NOT the answer. He’s trash.

  68. Lightningvinny Says:

    Bee could you expand on 2 turnover prone journeyman comment,,, please expand a who those 2 are ? I’m guessing bridgewater and ????

 

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