Bucs Add New Veteran QB To Practice Squad

After keeping undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels as the backup to Baker Mayfield and seeing veteran Jake Browning pass on an offer to stay around on the practice squad, the Bucs found themselves in need of some veteran depth at quarterback behind Mayfield and Daniels.

On Monday, Tampa Bay found that veteran depth, signing journeyman backup Easton Stick to the practice squad, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports.

Stick was a four-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State, where he held a 49-3 record as a starter. His time with the Bison saw him complete 61% of his passes for 8,693 yards and 88 touchdowns to 28 interceptions in addition to rushing for 2,523 yards and 41 touchdowns. And interestingly enough, Stick’s time at North Dakota State overlapped with that of Buccaneers right guard Cody Mauch’s, with the two being teammates during the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Bison.

After his collegiate career concluded, Stick was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft by the Chargers. He played sparingly for Los Angeles between 2019 and 2024, completing his lone pass attempt for 4 yards in 2020 before seeing his first (and only) extended action in 2023.

With Justin Herbert sidelined due to season-ending surgery, Stick played in five games with four starts near the end of the 2023 campaign. He completed 63.8% of his passes during that stretch for 1,129 yards and three touchdowns to one interception while adding 144 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

After one more season with the Chargers in 2024, Stick signed with the Falcons. It was in Atlanta that he reunited with then-Falcons offensive coordinator and current Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

Easton Stick Has A Long Relationship With Bucs OC

Easton Stick has a relationship with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson that dates back to the pre-draft process. Leading up to the draft, it was Robinson who helped train Stick. Not only did that help the former North Dakota State quarterback prepare for the draft, but it wound up leading to the start of Robinson’s coaching career.

It was through his work training Stick that Robinson ended up on Rams head coach Sean McVay’s radar, and soon enough, Robinson was on McVay’s staff with Los Angeles.

Robinson and Stick wound up reuniting in 2025 when the Falcons signed Stick and then kept him around on the practice squad after final roster cutdowns in August.

New Bucs QB Easton Stick – IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, when Stick became available Sunday after missing out on the Colts’ 53-man roster, it was a natural fit for the Bucs to bring him in given his experience in an NFL quarterback room, his relationship with Robinson and his knowledge of Robinson’s offense. Just as Stick represents the perfect fit for what the Buccaneers were looking for in a No. 3 quarterback, the set of circumstances that led to a reunion between Stick and Robinson were also somewhat perfect, in a sense.

Jalon Daniels wowed as an undrafted rookie out of Kansas throughout training camp and the preseason, and it got to a point where his candidacy to remain on the 53-man roster was two-fold. On the one hand, Tampa Bay couldn’t risk sending him through waivers and potentially losing him to another team’s active roster. But on the other hand, Daniels flat-out earned the No. 2 role behind Baker Mayfield.

Jake Browning, who was signed in free agency earlier this offseason, missed the cut as a result and rather than wait around and sign with the Bucs’ practice squad, he’s choosing to look for an opportunity elsewhere. Enter Easton Stick.

Now, Tampa Bay’s quarterback room consists of Baker Mayfield and Jalon Daniels on the active roster, with Easton Stick on the practice squad.