Mayfield Screams in Pain on Fox After Dislocating Thumb

Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb on a late hit in Tampa Bay's 23-16 loss to Minnesota, leaving the winless Buccaneers awaiting further tests.

With Tampa Bay trailing 23-16 and facing fourth-and-13 with under two minutes left, Baker Mayfield scrambled to keep the final possession alive before Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman hit his right throwing hand as he threw a desperation interception. The quarterback stayed on the grass, looking at his hands and kicking his heel into the turf in visible agony, and the broadcast microphones picked up his screams over the crowd celebrating the game-sealing turnover. He walked off holding his right hand with his left and went to the locker room unable to finish the game.

The injury compounds a miserable start for Tampa Bay, which dropped its first three games after Sunday's 23-16 loss to Minnesota. Coach Todd Bowles summed up the strange state of the division bluntly: "Funny thing, we're 0-3 and we're a game out of first place, so we have to get our stuff together." Mayfield had already absorbed heavy punishment, taking six sacks against the Vikings, and finished 17-of-34 for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception before the injury. Bowles said the protection has been up and down and that the offense must protect him better, get the ball out faster, and run the ball more effectively.

After the game, Bowles announced that Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb on his right throwing hand and will undergo further testing to determine its severity. When asked whether the thumb was broken, Bowles said he did not know until additional tests were completed. According to TotalProSports, Mayfield is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, and X-rays did not show a fracture. Replays showed Cashman's hand striking Mayfield's right thumb at the end of the play, bending it back awkwardly on impact, which could have contributed to the injury.

Bowles did not specify how long Mayfield might be out, saying he and the team will meet once the severity is known to determine who takes over. He indicated he would lean toward Jalon Daniels stepping in if Mayfield misses an extended period. Bowles acknowledged the response has to come from everyone — coaches, players, and staff — as the club tries to reach down and do more.

Tampa Bay returns to action on Oct. 4 against the Green Bay Packers, and Monday's MRI figures to shape whether Mayfield can have any shot at playing in that game. Until results are in, the Buccaneers are left planning for the worst while trying to fix the problems that put their quarterback in harm's way in the first place — protection breakdowns, six sacks allowed, and an offense that Bowles admitted needs to do far more. How Tampa Bay navigates the coming week will determine whether an 0-3 start becomes a deeper spiral or a turning point.