First Preseason Game 'Means A Lot' for Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Kyle Trask

Although Tom Brady will start for the Bucs in Saturday's preseason opener, Trask is going to give it his all with the reps he's earned in training camp.

While preseason games might not mean much to your average NFL veteran or even everyday fan, the preseason is a massive opportunity for rookies and younger players in the league to make an impression. 

That includes Buccaneers second-round pick Kyle Trask, who is making his debut in a Tampa Bay uniform Saturday night vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

"It means a lot," Trask said about the preseason game. "Growing up, watching NFL football, having the chance to play in any kind of game, I'm super excited. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play and do the best I can."

Although Bucs quarterback Tom Brady is expected to start the preseason opener, according to head coach Bruce Arians, Trask said he's looking forward to getting on the field regardless of how long he may be able to play vs. the Bengals.

"I'm not completely sure how they're going to divvy it up and things like that," Trask said when asked how much he thinks he will play in the game. "All I know is that I've just got to go out there and make the most of my reps."

Trask received multiple compliments from Brady, who said the former Florida Gators quarterback is "doing a great job" throughout training camp so far.

"From the day that he got here, he's a very hard worker," Brady said. "(Bucs Quarterbacks Coach) Clyde (Christensen) works extremely hard with him to get him ready to go. Kyle's out here early, stays late, works with the younger guys. All the things that you're really looking for in a young player."

Arians laid out what he is hoping to see, and also not see, from his rookie quarterback in the first preseason game.

"Basically get in and out of the huddle," Arians explained. "He processes information extremely well, so just get them in and out of the huddle, get them lined up and let's roll. Avoid pre-snap penalties and all the stuff that you don't want to see. We haven't seen it out here so we shouldn't see it in the ballgame."

Trask is used to not starting or getting the most reps in practice. Following his freshman season in high school, Trask didn't serve as the starting quarterback until his junior year at Florida. That's in large part because he played behind star quarterback D'Eriq King at Manvel High in Texas.

However, Trask shined when his time came for the Gators. Finishing his senior season as a Heisman Finalist, Trask threw for 4,283 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2020 as he led one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

"This is not a position that I haven't been in before," Trask said when asked about not getting the most quarterback reps. "In college, I had to work my way up, and so I knew what it was like to be a backup and not get as many reps."

"That's the NFL," Trask added. "If you're not the starter you're probably not going to get as many reps as the starter, so you have to make the most of what you get and definitely be taking mental reps every opportunity that you can."

And so far he has taken advantage of the reps he's earned in practice. Trask spoke about the strides he has made through the first three weeks of training camp.

"Definitely just certain technicalities, footwork," Trask said. "I didn't do a whole lot of dropbacks from under center in college. It was more just dropping and setting up from the gun. So that was something to try to get used to. But I think I've done a great job with it so far and I'm just trying to get better. That's something [I do] every day."

Of course, learning from one of the greatest to ever throw a football helps too.

"Obviously, Tom is one of the greats for a reason," Trask said. "You can definitely tell in his preparation, really honed in on every detail of the game, really loves the game. It's definitely just nuggets you can take away to try to implement into your lifestyle on and off the field."

Brady, Trask, and the Bucs will take the field Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. vs. the Bengals in one of three preseason games before the regular season kicks off Sept. 9 vs. Dallas.

Stay tuned to AllBucs for further coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason updates, and other news and analysis. Follow along on social media at @SIBuccaneers on Twitter and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.