The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season has not gone as expected so far. Not only are they sitting at the bottom of the NFC South after three straight losses, but Baker Mayfield’s thumb injury will also sideline him for their Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Head coach Todd Bowles will have to rely on Jalon Daniels, the undrafted rookie who entered the NFL out of the Kansas Jayhawks. It will be quite a challenge for the Bucs, who will be looking to earn their first win of the season.
The poor level of play shown by Tampa Bay in its first three games has raised concerns within the coaching staff. Mayfield’s absence could deepen the crisis, especially with the Bucs facing a perennial contender like the Packers.
A tough blow for Mayfield
Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb on his throwing hand during the fourth quarter of Tampa Bay‘s Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The injury occurred on a fourth-and-1 play when he was hit while attempting a pass.
Blake Cashman #51 of the Minnesota Vikings hits Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Subsequent medical evaluations and an MRI confirmed no major structural ligament damage, but Todd Bowles announced that Mayfield is expected to miss a minimum of three weeks while recovering. Based on that recovery timeline, the earliest realistic target for his return to the field would be Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers.
More injuries for the Bucs
Alongside Mayfield, the Buccaneers are heading into their matchup against Green Bay severely shorthanded on both sides of the ball. On defense, losing Rueben Bain Jr. (groin/shoulder) strips Todd Bowles’ front seven of a key edge disruptor, while Benjamin Morrison (quad) sitting out thins out secondary depth and leaves Tampa Bay vulnerable against Green Bay’s intermediate passing attack.
Offensively, Ko Kieft (elbow) being ruled out might not steal headlines, but his absence stings in the trenches—he’s the team’s primary blocking tight end and H-back, meaning the offense takes a hit in short-yardage packages and heavy run sets just as Jalon Daniels makes his first NFL start.
Key takeaways
- Baker Mayfield will miss the Week 4 game against Green Bay due to a thumb injury.
- Jalon Daniels is set to start at quarterback for the Buccaneers after Mayfield’s injury.
- Minimum of three weeks is the expected recovery timeline for Mayfield’s dislocated right thumb.
