In Week 3, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers not only lost their third-straight game to start the 2026 season, but also lost their starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield, to a thumb injury. Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb in the fourth quarter of a losing effort against the Minnesota Vikings. He was heard screaming on the ground after the injury and left the field, as rookie backup Jalon Daniels replaced him for the final plays of the game.
On Monday, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles revealed that Mayfield is expected to miss a "minimum" of three weeks while he recovers from the painful injury. That means their undrafted rookie quarterback will fill in for him until he can return. Former Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians, who coached the team to a Super Bowl win in 2021, appeared on the "Up & Adams Show" with Kay Adams on Monday and shared a strong message for Mayfield after suffering the injury.
More news: Jaguars Ball Boy Goes Viral Refusing to Give Up Travis Hunter’s INT Ball "He's got to quit doing this," Arians said as a replay showed Mayfield scrambling around in the pocket with the ball just before he suffered the injury. "Just throw the damn ball away!" The injury occurred as Mayfield was throwing a pass in the fourth quarter, and a Vikings defender jumped to try to block the pass. Mayfield's hand and thumb made contact with the defender's outstretched arm, resulting in the injury.
"And that's not in his nature, I know, but this is always how he gets hurt," Arians told Adams. "You know, I haven't had that conversation with him personally, but 'We need you on the field.'" Arians also revealed that when he first met Mayfield, he told him if he kept running like he does, "we're gonna need to put bigger shoulder pads on your [expletive]." So far this season, Mayfield has racked up 65 rushing yards and one touchdown on 11 carries. He combined for over 700 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the previous two seasons.
The good news for Mayfield, per ESPN, is that an MRI revealed no additional damage to his thumb after Sunday's injury. With that, there is optimism he'll be back in three weeks. However, things haven't looked great with the Buccaneers' offense, even with Mayfield on the field this season, as they're off to a 0-3 start.
It should be interesting to see how the rookie backup, Daniels, performs in Mayfield's absence, and whether he can surprise everyone and lead Tampa Bay to their first win of the season. Read more: Buccaneers Dealt Brutal Baker Mayfield Injury Blow vs. Vikings For more about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
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