Kyle Trask is back in the NFL mix, and this time he’s landing with the Carolina Panthers.
The former Florida quarterback signed with Carolina on Sunday, the team announced. The move comes after the Panthers needed another arm behind Haynes King, who guided them to a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds of Thursday’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game before suffering a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for a brief stretch.
For Trask, it’s another stop in a winding pro career that has already included Tampa Bay and a short stint on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad in November. He had been unsigned this offseason after the Buccaneers, his drafted team, released him during 53-man roster cutdowns last August. Trask also worked out for the New Orleans Saints in May, but nothing came together there.
Now he gets a fresh chance with another NFC South team.
Florida fans know the story well. Trask came to Gainesville as a two-star recruit from Manvel (Texas) High School, where he spent his final three prep seasons backing up D'Eriq King. He signed with the Gators in the 2016 class as the lowest-rated player in the group and one of two quarterbacks, alongside four-star signee Feleipe Franks.
What followed was a slow climb, not an immediate breakout. Trask battled Franks for the starting job in 2017 before a season-ending injury ended his year. He saw action in relief of Franks in 2018, then dealt with another year-ending injury of his own.
The real turn came in 2019, when Franks went down with a season-ending ankle injury early in the season and Trask took over. He made the most of it, emerging as one of the SEC’s most efficient passers and helping Florida reach the Orange Bowl, where the Gators beat Virginia. In 12 appearances and 11 starts, he completed 237-of-364 passes for 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
His redshirt senior season in 2020 was even bigger. Trask started every game in the COVID-shortened year and led the FBS with 43 touchdown passes, setting a Florida single-season record in the process. He finished 301-of-437 for 4,283 yards and just eight interceptions.
Florida earned an SEC Championship berth that season, and Trask threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-40 passing against Alabama in that game. The Crimson Tide still won 52-46 in Atlanta, but Trask’s play earned him Heisman Trophy finalist status, plus Second-Team All-American and Second-Team All-SEC honors.
Even with fewer than two full seasons as the starter, his place in school history is secure. Trask ranks No. 6 at Florida with 69 passing touchdowns and No. 8 with 7,386 passing yards.
The Buccaneers took him with the final pick of the second round in the 2021 NFL Draft, No. 64 overall, with the expectation that he might eventually follow Tom Brady. Instead, he spent two seasons as Brady’s backup, then watched Tampa Bay turn to Baker Mayfield after Brady retired.
Trask has appeared in seven NFL games with the Buccaneers and completed 4-of-11 passes for 28 yards. Now he’ll try to carve out another role in Carolina, where he joins Bryce Young as a backup once again.
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