Mayfield Out at Least Three Weeks as Daniels Gets First Start

Monday's MRI showed no fracture or ligament damage, but the Buccaneers say Baker Mayfield will miss at least three weeks with his dislocated thumb.

The day after Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb in Tampa Bay's 23-16 loss to Minnesota, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reports that head coach Todd Bowles told the station an MRI confirmed no broken bones, ligament damage or tendon tears in the quarterback's throwing hand. According to FOX 13, Bowles said Mayfield will miss at least three weeks. The NFL's own report had noted X-rays on Sunday night already showed no fracture.

A dislocated thumb on a quarterback's throwing hand read as a potentially season-altering injury when it happened, with Diario AS noting that such an injury can affect a passer's grip and that no timetable existed until imaging was complete. The Monday results flipped that fear: per FOX 13's account of Bowles' comments, the MRI came back clean on fracture, ligament and tendon counts, and the New York Post similarly reports the scan revealed no ligament damage and confirmed the earlier X-ray. The surprise is not the injury itself, which the feed covered after Sunday's game, but that the structural damage is minimal enough that the absence is measured in weeks rather than months.

Multiple outlets agree on the sequence. He finished 17 of 34 for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and was sacked six times, per the Buccaneers' official recap and nfl.com. The Buccaneers' site also noted the club fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2014, with 17 punts and repeated penalty-erased plays, including a called-back 85-yard Chris Godwin touchdown.

With Mayfield sidelined, the spotlight moves to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who replaced Mayfield for Tampa Bay's final possession and threw an interception on a game-ending Hail Mary in his NFL debut. FOX 13 reports Daniels is expected to make his first career start in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, and Pro Football Rumors notes he beat out former Bengals backup Jake Browning for the QB2 job after an impressive preseason. According to Diario AS, Daniels completed 27 of 44 preseason passes for 239 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while leading comeback wins over the Jets and Chiefs. MARCA adds that veteran Easton Stick sits on the practice squad as further depth.

The New York Post lays out what Mayfield stands to miss: Sunday's home game against Green Bay, a Thursday night road clash with the Cowboys in Week 5, and a home game against the Steelers in Week 6, before Tampa Bay visits Carolina in Week 7. The context is a rough stretch — the Post notes Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million extension five days before the opener and has two touchdown passes and 615 passing yards through three losses. Yet head coach Todd Bowles told reporters, per the Buccaneers' site, that the team remains just one game out of first place in the NFC South with the rest of the division sitting at 1-2, softening the immediate cost of the skid.

Bowles signaled roster movement is possible, with the New York Post quoting him saying, "We'll go with Jalon and we'll go play, and we'll see what's out there to help out on the practice squad or on the team," and FOX 13 likewise reporting the Buccaneers will add a quarterback at some point. FOX 13 also notes it remains unknown whether Mayfield will be placed on injured reserve. The Buccaneers' site adds a second medical watch: wide receiver Jalen McMillan is undergoing an MRI on his left knee to determine whether his injury is a reaggravation of a training-camp issue or something new. The next checkpoint for the 0-3 Buccaneers is Sunday's home date with the 1-2 Packers.