Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a 0-3 start in the 2026 NFL season, and now they’ll have to navigate the next stretch without their starting quarterback.
Mayfield dislocated his right thumb late in Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, catching linebacker Blake Cashman’s arm on an intercepted fourth-down throw during a game in which Minnesota sacked him six times.
The injury comes at a brutal time. Tampa Bay signed Mayfield to a three-year, $165 million extension just days before the opener, and through three games he’d thrown for 615 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, his EPA per dropback among the lowest in the league.
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Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed Monday that Mayfield will miss at least three weeks, though ESPN reported the absence could stretch to six depending on when he regains a comfortable grip.
The MRI showed no additional ligament or tendon damage, making surgery unlikely, though the dislocation required stitches.
It’s an uncomfortable echo of last season, when injuries never let him get fully right. The veteran signal-caller played through knee and shoulder issues for much of 2025, finishing with 3,693 passing yards and 26 touchdowns as the Buccaneers collapsed from a 6-2 start to an 8-9 finish and missed the playoffs.
With their franchise quarterback sidelined again, Tampa Bay’s depth behind him is suddenly front and center. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels stepped in against Minnesota and completed none of his three relief attempts, while veteran Easton Stick remains on the practice squad rather than the active roster. Daniels is set to become the first rookie quarterback this season to start a game.
Baker Mayfield’s Return Timeline
A three-week absence would cost Mayfield matchups against the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, with Tampa Bay facing Dallas first on Thursday night, Oct. 8, and Pittsburgh on Oct. 18 before a potential Oct. 25 return against the Carolina Panthers.
Stretch that to six weeks, and the Buccaneers would also need to get through the Atlanta Falcons and a Sunday night road trip to face the Chicago Bears, with Tampa Bay’s Week 10 bye pushing a return as far out as Nov. 22 against the Detroit Lions.
For now, Daniels gets his first NFL start Sunday, with Tampa Bay hosting the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
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