The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made one of their more interesting practice squad additions at quarterback, signing veteran Easton Stick after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. Stick gives the team experience at a position it lacked after Jalon Daniels won the backup job behind Baker Mayfield.
Daniels' impressive preseason allowed the undrafted rookie to beat out veteran Jake Browning for the number two job. Browning was subsequently released and elected to pursue other opportunities rather than return to Tampa Bay's practice squad, leaving the Buccaneers without a veteran option behind Mayfield and Daniels. Stick has been in the NFL since the Chargers selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. While he hasn't played extensively,
he has four career starts, all in 2023 after Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending injury. Stick completed 63.8% of his passes for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns and one interception that season while also rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Stick then spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he worked under current Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates. Robinson's familiarity with Stick actually goes back even further, as he helped prepare the former North Dakota State quarterback for the NFL Draft in 2019. That should allow Stick to step into Tampa Bay's quarterback room without starting completely from scratch. It also gives the Bucs a veteran safety net without taking the backup job away from Daniels. Tampa Bay clearly believes Daniels earned the opportunity to develop as Mayfield's primary backup, but relying on a rookie as the only other quarterback on the active roster carries some risk. Stick gives the team someone with starting experience who could potentially be elevated from the practice squad if needed.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers sign QB3 to practice squad
