Carolina snapped up former Florida Gators signal-caller Kyle Trask after rookie Haynes King got sidelined with a hamstring injury in their preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. This move gives them some much-needed quarterback depth, but anyone looking at Trask’s NFL track record has to raise an eyebrow. The Panthers announced the signing on Sunday, also waiving wide receiver Malick Meiga and linebacker Nick Hampton with injury designations.
Those Pro Numbers Don’t Lie
You gotta wonder what the Panthers’ staff is seeing right now, because Trask’s NFL resume is, well, pretty thin. We’re talking about a guy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took in the second round of the 2021 draft who has never, not once, started an NFL game. From 2022 to 2024, he got on the field for seven regular-season games, but guess how many passes he threw? Eleven. Just eleven. He completed four of them for a grand total of 28 yards. Zero touchdowns, zero interceptions. That’s it. That’s his entire pro career so far. The familiarity with coach Dave Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik from their Bucs days might be a factor, but those numbers are wild.
Gators Glory Days
So yeah, Trask is still mostly known for his time absolutely slinging it for the Florida Gators. Remember that 2020 season? The dude finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting! He lit up the stat sheet, throwing for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions, completing 68.9 percent of his passes. He led Florida to an 8-4 record that year, even though they started 8-1 and then hit a tough stretch, dropping games to LSU, Alabama in the SEC championship, and Oklahoma. That college production was legit, but it feels like a lifetime ago.
What This Means For Carolina’s QB Room
Now, Trask isn’t coming in to start, let’s be real. He’s gonna be behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett on that depth chart. But he’s an option after King went down. And speaking of King, the guy was a legit hero in that Cardinals game. He actually scored a five-yard touchdown run as time expired to seal a 33-30 win! What a way to get hurt, right? The Panthers have their next preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills this Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Trask has a chance to show *something* in that game, because right now, the most eye-popping number connected to his NFL career isn’t those college stats, it’s those 28 career yards.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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