The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced they have elevated quarterback Easton Stick from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking his third consecutive promotion of the season.
With starter Baker Mayfield remaining sidelined by a dislocated right thumb, Stick will once again serve as the primary backup to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who is set to make his third consecutive start.
Under NFL practice squad rules, a player can be elevated up to three times during the regular season before a team must either sign him to the 53-man roster or risk losing the flexibility to activate him for further games.
This Week 6 call-up therefore represents Stick’s final elevation opportunity without a more permanent roster move.
Stick, now 31 years old and listed at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, joined the Buccaneers’ practice squad on September 1 after a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Omaha, Nebraska native entered the league as a fifth-round selection (166th overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2019 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State.
At NDSU, he started 52 of 55 games, compiled a 49-3 record as a starter, and finished as the FCS’s all-time winningest quarterback.
He left the Bison as the program’s career leader in passing yards (8,693), passing touchdowns (88), total offense (11,216 yards), and touchdowns responsible for (129), while also contributing significantly as a rusher.
In the NFL, Stick’s opportunities have been limited but meaningful. He has appeared in six career regular-season games, all with the Chargers, including four starts in 2023 when Justin Herbert was injured.
Across those appearances, he completed 112 of 175 passes (64.0 percent) for 1,133 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, producing an 85.7 passer rating, while also adding a rushing touchdown.
After his time in Los Angeles, he spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he worked under current Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, giving him a measure of familiarity with Tampa Bay’s system when he arrived on the practice squad.
Stick has been elevated for each of the past three weeks as Mayfield’s absence has stretched on. He backed up Daniels in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers and again in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, though he has yet to enter a game.
For Sunday’s contest against Pittsburgh, he provides veteran insurance behind the rookie starter, a role the Buccaneers have relied on consistently while Mayfield recovers.
Whether Stick remains on the practice squad or earns a longer look on the active roster will depend on how the quarterback situation evolves in the weeks ahead.
