Bucs QB Mayfield has dislocated thumb, will undergo MRI — SkimNews
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- Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb on a fourth-and-13 pass intercepted by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel; X-rays showed no fracture, but an MRI scheduled Monday will check for soft-tissue or ligament damage per coach Todd Bowles.
- Jalen McMillan will also undergo an MRI Monday on his left knee — the same knee he injured in training camp — after being hit by Vikings safety Josh Metellus on a third-and-5 route during the Bucs' first possession.
- Coach Todd Bowles said undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who beat out veteran Jake Browning in the preseason, would be the starter if Mayfield cannot play; Daniels threw an interception on his only drive filling in.
- Mayfield has started all 54 regular-season games since joining Tampa Bay — tied for the most in the league — and has never missed a start, though he appeared on the injury report 10 of 17 weeks last season.
- The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 0-3 for the first time since 2014, prompting tackle Tristan Wirfs to say 'everyone's got to pick up their game' while receivers Chris Godwin Jr. and Ted Hurst III offered support for both Mayfield and McMillan.
- Blake Cashman, who hit Mayfield as he released the ball, told reporters he 'just tried to get a hit on the quarterback to affect the throw' and was unaware of the injury as he celebrated what proved to be the game-clinching play.
Why it matters: Mayfield's 54-game iron-man streak — tied for the league's longest active run — is suddenly in jeopardy, and a 0-3 Bucs team would hand the offense to an undrafted rookie in Jalon Daniels rather than a veteran in Jake Browning; the Monday MRI will also clarify the severity of Jalen McMillan's second left-knee injury in two months, reshaping Tampa Bay's already-thin receiving corps.
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