Bucs head coach Todd Bowles already said Thursday that his starters would not play in Saturday night’s preseason finale against the Bills at Raymond James Stadium. That effectively meant starting quarterback Baker Mayfield would go without a snap in the team’s three-game preseason.

That also meant Kyle Trask, Teddy Bridgewater and Connor Bazelak would the only Tampa Bay quarterbacks available for Saturday night’s matchup against Buffalo – or so everyone thought. Shortly before the team took the field for warmups Saturday night, the Bucs announced that Bridgewater would miss the game due to an illness.

So, that leaves Trask and Bazelak, a rookie out of Bowling Green, as the only quarterbacks available to cover the preseason’s final four quarters against the Bills. Bridgewater made his Buccaneer debut in last Saturday’s 17-14 exhibition win against Pittsburgh, getting the start for Tampa Bay and going 6-of-11 for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

How Bridgewater’s Absence Affects The Bucs’ QB2 Battle

The Bucs never came right out and said it, but when they signed Teddy Bridgewater just days before the preseason opener against the Titans two weeks ago, there seemed to be some unspoken pressure on Kyle Trask, who came into training camp as the incumbent QB2 in red and pewter.

Of course, the addition of Bridgewater occurred because Michael Pratt’s back injury left the team with only Baker Mayfield, Trask and Connor Bazelak under center for camp and the preseason. But with the team signing a veteran like Bridgewater, it also meant a chance to bring some experience into the room behind Mayfield.

Bucs QB Teddy Bridgewater – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bridgewater played well in his debut against the Steelers last week, whereas Trask didn’t. But Trask has experience within Josh Grizzard’s offense, plus Bridgewater’s status as a vested veteran always meant he was likelier to end up on the practice squad to start the season rather than make the 53-man roster as Tampa Bay’s QB2.

That’s why Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds had Mayfield and Trask as the team’s only two quarterbacks in his 53-man roster projection in the latest edition of SR’s Fab 5. Here’s what Reynolds had to say:

“Kyle Trask returns as Mayfield’s primary backup. He knows the offense, and perhaps just as important, knows the offensive linemen, tight ends, receivers and running backs and has developed chemistry with them over his five seasons in red and pewter. He will likely get the nod as Mayfield’s backup initially while veteran Teddy Bridgewater will start the year on the practice squad.

Because Bridgewater is a vested veteran, if he’s on the 53-man roster on Week 1 his 2025 base salary is fully guaranteed. So he’ll start on the practice squad and can be elevated during the season if needed. I think the team trusts Trask to get the Bucs out of a game if Mayfield gets injured. But if Mayfield misses multiple games, the team might turn to Bridgewater due to his extensive starting experience. Also, having to carry both Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin Jr. on the active roster while injured means the Bucs don’t have the roster room to carry three quarterbacks.”

Bucs QB Teddy Bridgewater – Photo by: USA Today

Even with that said, Bridgewater can still contribute to the Bucs quarterback room in 2025. He has been in the NFL for 10 years, is with his eighth team and has 79 games (65 starts) under his belt. He’s a stronger option to be Tampa Bay’s emergency third quarterback than Bazelak is, and as Reynolds opined, he could be the Bucs’ preference to start in the event of a multi-game injury for Mayfield, even over Trask, who has little game experience through his first four NFL seasons.

We’ll see how it all plays out officially in the coming days as the Bucs cut down their roster to 53 players and assemble their practice squad. For now, the Bucs – led by Trask and Bazelak – are set to wrap up their preseason schedule Saturday night, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.