Report: Carolina Panthers release QB Kyle Trask

Former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was released by the Carolina Panthers, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. However, he could end up being the emergency quarterback option for the team. Trask signed with the Panthers back on August 9th.

Originally a second round pick out of Florida by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, Trask has only played in seven games in his NFL career. He is 4-of-11 passing for 28 yards in regular season action.

Following his four seasons with Tampa Bay, the Bucs cut Trask on August 26, 2025. He later signed with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad last November. He stayed within the NFC South and signed onto the Panthers training camp roster, but will now have to look elsewhere to continue his NFL career.

Trask was originally added to the Panthers roster amid an injury to former Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. The expectation was King would be “week to week” with a hamstring injury he suffered during the Hall of Fame Game win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Once thought of as a successor to Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, it never really worked out for Trask in his multiple stops. This is despite a productive college career with the Gators, which culminated in a record-breaking 2020 season.

During his final campaign in college, Trask threw for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns (which led the NCAA and is a Florida record), eight interceptions and a 68.9% completion percentage. Trask finished his career with Florida with 7,386 yard, 69 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 67.9% completion percentage.

As a member of the Class of 2016, Trask was a three-star recruit out of Manvel (Texas) High, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 195 overall prospect in the state, the No. 95 QB in the class and the No. 1,656 overall prospect in the class.

In other Panthers’ roster news, the team signed veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke on a one-year deal. Originally a third-round pick from Stanford, he’s appeared in 110 games and started 95. He’s become one of the more productive inside linebackers in the league, with at least 132 tackles in four of the last five seasons, including a team-high 143 last year for the New York Giants.

Okereke has 805 career tackles, along with 7.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, and eight fumble recoveries. He spent the last three years with the Giants after his first four with the Indianapolis Colts.