Baker Mayfield is back on the practice field, and Tampa Bay finally has a real quarterback decision to make. Mayfield practiced Wednesday for the first time since dislocating his right thumb Sept. 27, and Todd Bowles said he expects to decide Friday who starts Sunday at Carolina, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Bowles called Mayfield’s first day “encouraging,” per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, and said he threw the ball well and handled everything that was asked of him. The two quarterbacks split reps, and how Mayfield’s thumb feels Thursday will carry a lot of weight. After Sunday’s loss, Bowles had said, “I’ll probably have a better answer for you on Wednesday once I see him.”
Why the Bucs are still preparing for Jalon Daniels
The game plan for now is built around Jalon Daniels, Laine reported. Mayfield wore a glove on his throwing hand, and the first drill he worked through was a ball-security drill with coaches trying to knock the ball loose, Auman noted.
That drill wasn’t random. Mayfield had three lost fumbles to go with two touchdown passes and two interceptions before he got hurt, and he was sacked 13 times during an 0-3 start, the Associated Press reported. With the injury on his throwing hand, holding onto the ball in the pocket is a fair concern.
Daniels has kept the job warm without settling it. The undrafted rookie went 22 of 43 for 164 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions in the 26-19 overtime loss to the Steelers, and he was sacked five times. He hasn’t topped 190 passing yards in three starts, and PFF gave him a 39.9 overall grade. That’s the painful answer at quarterback Tampa Bay got, and it’s why the thumb matters so much at 1-5.
Bowles has his own reasons to want Mayfield back. “The seat under Todd Bowles is getting really hot,” CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco wrote, and the collapse against Pittsburgh only fueled the case against Todd Bowles. The defense did get safety Antoine Winfield Jr. back at practice in a non-contact jersey after missing two games, per Auman. Around Tampa, Friday can’t come soon enough.
More on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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- Chris Godwin Jr. Lands in Trade Deadline Talk as the Buccaneers Fall to 1-5
- The Buccaneers Are on Pace to Allow 62 Sacks, and That’s the First Fix Before the Panthers
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