Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will be out a minimum of 3 weeks with a dislocated right thumb per head coach Todd Bowles. However, he could miss as many as 6 weeks depending on how quickly he’s able to grip a football again, adding even more uncertainty to a Bucs season that’s gone sideways from the start.
Currently sitting at 0-3 on the year, Tampa Bay can ill afford to lose their franchise QB for an extended period of time if they hope to climb out of the basement of the NFC South. Additional imaging on Monday showed no additional structural damage to Mayfield’s injured thumb, which will avoid the need for surgery to correct the issue.
As a result, the team has opted not to place the 31 on injured reserve and will hope that he can get back onto the field on the shorter end of the 3-6 week timeline.
In his absence, the Bucs will be turning to undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels when the team takes on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. He’ll become the first rookie from the 2026 NFL draft class to start a game, beating the likes of Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza and others onto the field.
“I don’t even know if I can put it into words,” Daniels said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s a dream come true to even play for an NFL organization. To be able to go out there and have my first NFL start, it means everything.”
Daniels inked a $25,000 signing bonus, and brought him in on a $247,500 practice squad salary prior to the season. Now, the former Kansas Jayhawk will take his first NFL regular season reps with Easton Stick serving as his back up. If he does well, it could be the first of at least 3 consecutive starts.
Following Sunday’s matchup against the Packers, the team will take on the Cowboys on Thursday night, followed by a home game against the Steelers on October 18th. By then, the club should have a better idea of how close Mayfield will be to returning to action.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.