For three straight seasons, Todd Bowles built his quarterback room like a fortress, layers of experience, competition at every level, and no fear of making a tough call. It helped Tampa Bay finish first in the NFC South three years running, even as other rosters crumbled under injuries and inconsistency. But last season, Bowles took a calculated risk. He brought in Michael Pratt, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound gunslinger out of Tulane with almost 10,000 career passing yards, 90 touchdowns, and the 2023 AAC Offensive Player of the Year trophy on his shelf. On paper, it was a low-cost, high-upside swing. In reality? It never got off the ground.

The news dropped on August 12th evening from The Athletic’s Greg Auman, “Bucs have waived-injured QB Michael Pratt, who hadn’t practised this year due to a lower back injury. He’d spent last year on the practice squad.” This wasn’t just a depth chart trim. It was the end of a year-long holding pattern for a quarterback who never got to compete for real snaps. Pratt spent all of 2024 on Tampa Bay’s practice squad after arriving just days before the season. In January, the Bucs doubled down, signing him to a reserve/future deal. Eight months later, the back injury and the numbers game closed the book.

But before Tampa, there was Green Bay. The Packers made Pratt the 245th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, a classic seventh-round project with college production you couldn’t ignore. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $4.106 million, including an $86,940 signing bonus. It looked like he might be the developmental arm behind Jordan Love. Instead, he lasted less than four months. Released on August 27, 2024, before the regular season, Pratt’s NFL debut was pushed to another chapter, with Todd Bowles bringing him to Tampa.

College football fans will remember how Pratt’s story began. Home-schooled until ninth grade, no football experience until high school, then a rapid climb, Boca Raton High, then Deerfield Beach, and finally Tulane. By his freshman year in New Orleans, he was already the starter. In 2022, he threw for over 3,000 yards with 27 touchdowns to just five interceptions, adding 10 rushing scores. He left Tulane with a career 60.6% completion rate, 148.0 passer rating, and the kind of big-game credentials that had scouts quietly intrigued.

Still, the NFL is brutal to the bubble guys. No preseason film, no live reps, and no chance to push Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask meant Pratt’s NFL clock ticked faster than he could prove himself. Todd Bowles’ philosophy doesn’t allow for what-ifs.

Todd Bowles lost money on the waived QB

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are staring at a $250,000 headache. And it has nothing to do with their opponents. Earlier this year, the team doubled down on their belief in rookie quarterback Michael Pratt. They re-signed him to a two-year deal and sweetened the pot with a $250,000 signing bonus. That kind of upfront cash is unusual for a developmental backup. But it signaled the Bucs’ confidence in his long-term growth. Unfortunately, that investment just went down the drain.

Injuries kept Pratt from progressing the way the team had hoped, forcing Tampa Bay to make a tough call. On Tuesday, they waived him with an injury designation, clearing space for other positional needs. The move means the Bucs are now on the hook for that $250k, with nothing to show for it except an empty spot on the depth chart. In a salary-cap league, even seemingly small losses like this can snowball when building a roster.

The decision also highlights the fine margin the Buccaneers are working with as they plan for the future. Quarterback stability is expensive in today’s NFL. And Tampa Bay already has big money tied up in Baker Mayfield’s three-year, $100 million contract. He’s locked in through 2026, but an extension could come into play as early as next offseason.

For Todd Bowles and the front office, that means every cap decision now, even one involving a rookie backup, has to be made with precision. Because if Mayfield keeps producing, his next deal will be bigger, and the Bucs can’t afford any more $250,000 mistakes.