For better or worse, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem destined to have a new backup quarterback in 2025. Whether that comes through a moderately priced free agent or a Day 3 draft pick will be the real drama that plays out over the next few months.
With veteran Kyle Trask likely out the door in free agency and third string quarterback Michael Pratt not inspiring much confidence, head coach Todd Bowles broke down Tampa Bay’s options at the position to at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Pratt was a seventh round pick (No. 245 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft but was released at the end of training camp and picked up by the Buccaneers, who signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 14.
“Pratt, we think he’s very talented,” Bowles said. “When we got him, he didn’t really have a chance to get the system down because he was playing scout team all the time. You can’t really get those plays in. Having this spring will be important for him and if we lost (Kyle) Trask we’d probably look to add one, whether it’s a younger one or an older one remains to be seen. (Someone) who can probably fit our system and learn it the best, but that’s something we’ve talked about for sure. We really want to get a chance to see what Pratt can do this spring because it’s not fair to evaluate him just playing the scout team.”
One option at backup quarterback — an “older one” — could be 2021 NFL draft No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who is a free agent after stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Lance is appealing because not only is he 24 years old, he’s not going to be very expensive — think something along the lines of a 1-year contract worth between $1 million and $2 million.
Lance Finds Himself Looking for Third Team
Lance is a free agent after playing out the 4-year, $34.1 million contract he signed with the 49ers as a rookie in 2021 out of North Dakota State. Lance was traded to the Cowboys before the 2023 season after Brock Purdy took over the starting job.
That drafting Lance didn’t cause the entire 49ers’ organization to come undone is a miracle unto itself.
San Francisco decided Lance was good enough that they gave up their first round picks in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and a third round pick in 2022 to move up to get Lance in the 2021 NFL draft, where quarterbacks went with the first 3 picks with Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars followed by Zach Wilson at No. 2 to the New York Jets, then Lance.
Lance started just 2 games in 2022 before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury and had to watch as Purdy guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game that season then the Super Bowl following the 2023 season.
Purdy is now in line to become one of the NFL’s highest paid players of all time with Spotrac setting his current market value at a 4-year, $238.9 million contract that pays him $59.7 million per season.
