What Buccaneers' Kyle Trask learned from Tom Brady

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask says sitting behind Tom Brady the past two NFL seasons helped the 25-year-old grasp when to take risks with the football and when to live to fight another day. 

"I've definitely been seeing what I can and can't do for the past two years (in practices)," Trask told reporters, per Kevin Patra of the league's website. "I think I have a much better idea now. I know what situations you have to take more risks in and I think if we can just play clean as an offense, that's going to give us the best chance to win in the end. I'm just trying to do the best that I can do, which includes protecting the football."

Trask, a 2021 second-round draft pick, spent his first two pro campaigns beneath both Brady and veteran Blaine Gabbert on the Tampa Bay depth chart, and the third-year pro has thus far attempted just nine career regular-season passes. Until recently, it was widely believed that free-agency signing Baker Mayfield held a significant lead over Trask in the competition to succeed Brady, but Trask has performed so well in summer workouts that the Buccaneers have no QB1 as of Tuesday afternoon. 

New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales and head coach Todd Bowles haven't hidden that they want to start a signal-caller who avoids turnovers throughout training camp and the preseason. ESPN's Jenna Laine mentioned on Tuesday morning that Trask tossed two interceptions through 10 practices, while Mayfield threw eight across those sessions. 

As noted by StatMuse, Mayfield's 64 regular-season interceptions are the most by any quarterback since he entered the NFL via the 2018 draft.

"[My voice] has 100% absolutely grown since last year," Trask added about his improvement from where he was in August 2022. "I was just a young quarterback in the NFL, trying to call a play in the huddle. It's kind of hard. You don't realize how much studying it actually takes. You really have to make it your livelihood -- to go home, study, make sacrifices with your time. I've just been trying to study as much as I can. I feel like [it] personally pays when I come out here and I'm able to just be confident and play fast." 

It's unknown how many snaps the two quarterbacks will take in Tampa Bay's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, but fans shouldn't be shocked if Trask begins that game under center while Mayfield wears a headset throughout the contest's first quarter.