ESPN: Kyle Trask Has 'Come on Strong' amid Bucs QB Battle with Baker Mayfield

The battle to replace Tom Brady continues in Tampa Bay as Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask each hope to be named the Buccaneers' starting quarterback.

As of now, Mayfield "has held much of the momentum," per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, but Trask "has come on strong in recent days."

"Here's the sense on the Mayfield-Trask battle: Mayfield has held much of the momentum," Fowler wrote in part.

"He has command of the offense and is considered better-suited to run a Dave Canales offense featuring more play-action and throws on the move.

"But Trask has come on strong in recent days, deepening the intrigue. This battle needs much more time to play out, and nobody seems in a rush to name a starter. The Bucs have been impressed with Trask's improved mobility, to be sure."

Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, is entering his sixth pro season after previously competing for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.

Trask has been in Tampa Bay for the past two years as the team's third-string quarterback behind Brady and Blaine Gabbert. The Bucs selected Trask with the No. 64 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Trask's only NFL regular season action occurred during mop-up duty in a 30-17 regular season-closing loss to the Atlanta Falcons last year. He completed 3-of-9 passes for 23 yards.

That being said, Trask wasn't going to get any significant playing time with a seven-time Super Bowl champion winner calling the shots at QB1.

The focus is on how he's used that time on the sidelines to improve as he gets a legitimate chance to start, and it appears he's squarely in the mix right now.

Trask has gotten some positive reviews for his work this summer from numerous sources this past week, with a few examples below:

The dates to watch will be Aug. 11, Aug. 19 and Aug. 26 with the Buccaneers taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, in those three preseason games. They should go a long way toward determining who leads the team for the regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 10.