Baker Mayfield is set to miss at least three weeks of the NFL season due to a dislocated right thumb – but it could be even longer.
Mayfield went down in agony at the end of last week’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
He required stitches to close the wound caused by the gruesome dislocation with those stitches soon expected to be removed.
Mayfield has avoided the worst-case scenario, with an MRI the day after the game revealing no additional damage to his thumb ligament or tendon.
But the fact the injury is on his throwing hand means he will still miss time, with head coach Todd Bowles revealing he will be out for at least three weeks but potentially up to six weeks depending on how quickly he regains the ability to grip the ball, per ESPN.
The franchise has declined to play Mayfield on injured reserve and are hoping he will be back sooner rather than later, while promoting an undrafted free agent to replace him.
Baker Mayfield will miss 3-6 weeks after he suffered a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand
Mayfield picked up the painful injury late on in the Bucs’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings
Jalon Daniels, the former Kansas quarterback, will become the first rookie QB to start a game this year after he beat out Jake Browning for the backup job in preseason.
Daniels joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on a deal which guaranteed his full $247,500 practice squad salary and gave him a $25,000 signing bonus.
He will be backed up by Easton Stick on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, as the 0-3 Bucs look for their first win of the season without their star quarterback.
Mayfield’s injury could barely have come at a worse time with the Bucs’ awful start leaving their season already hanging by a thread.
‘For us, it’s just trying to get a win,’ head coach Todd Bowles said ahead of Week 4. ‘Everybody has to do their job.’
‘We’ve just got to make sure Jalon is comfortable with the things we give him.’
Discussing his confidence in the undrafted rookie to lead the team to victory and what he needs to do, Bowles said: ‘The same confidence that he made the team with.
‘Just going out there, performing, doing his job and being him, going through his reads and making throws and playing football. His performance speaks for itself when he’s out there. His confidence speaks for itself, and they rally around him.’
Jalon Daniels will replace Mayfield as starter after he won the backup job during training camp
The undrafted free agent will become the first rookie quarterback to start a game this season
Speaking ahead of his first start, Daniels said: ‘I don’t even know if I can put it into words.
‘It’s a dream come true. It’s a dream come true to even play for an NFL organization. To be able to go out there and have my first NFL start, it means everything.’
The Buccaneers travel to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 then host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, both games set to be without Mayfield.
They will then hope he could be healthy to return for two but NFC South matchups against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 and Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
But time is of the essence to get some wins on the board and revive their playoff hopes, something they’ll need to do without Mayfield for at least a few more weeks.
