The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-3 in the 2026 regular season and look to be without their starting quarterback for a few weeks, as Baker Mayfield is injured.
He has a thumb injury and is expected to miss a few weeks. Unfortunately, the latest update for the Buccaneers was actually worse than expected.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mayfield has a dislocated right thumb that could keep him out for three to six weeks, a longer timeline than originally expected for this injury.
Buccaneers might be without Baker Mayfield for longer than anticipated
"Sources told ESPN that Mayfield is dealing with a dislocated thumb that is expected to sideline the star quarterback anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on how quickly he can grip the football," Schefter writes.
This is not the kind of update that Buccaneers fans will like to hear. While Jalon Daniels is a fun storyline and will be an intriguing watch as he takes over for Mayfield, being without their starter for this long is very concerning.
With an already bleak season in the works, sitting at a 0-3 record, being forced to go from their $165 million quarterback to an undrafted rookie free agent is a massive leap.
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Unfortunately, this report from Schefter makes it clear that there's a significant amount of uncertainty with Mayfield's recovery, as his ability to grip the football is the real test to see if he can go.
It's an injury to his throwing hand and to his thumb. This is not an injury he can play through. He needs to be fully healthy if he wants to have a chance of starting.
With how challenging a recovery this is, the Buccaneers are clearly in a state of limbo with their quarterback room. Mayfield might not be back for some time.
Mayfield's injury shouldn't be season-ending, or anything close to it. But instead of just a few weeks on the sideline, Mayfield is at risk of missing over a month of playing time for a Buccaneers team seemingly already on the brink of elimination.
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