Mayfield Out 3-6 Weeks; Bucs' Daniels to Start vs. Packers — SkimNews
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- Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb that will sideline him 3-6 weeks, with the timeline depending on when he can grip a football again, per sources
- An MRI on Monday showed no additional ligament or tendon damage beyond the dislocation, and coach Todd Bowles said no surgery is needed; Mayfield received stitches that are expected to be removed soon
- The Buccaneers did not place Mayfield on injured reserve and do not expect to, even if his absence stretches beyond four weeks
- Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will start against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, becoming the first of this year's 10 drafted rookie QBs to start a game
- Daniels' contract with Tampa Bay included a $25,000 signing bonus and a rare fully guaranteed practice squad salary of $247,500; he beat out Jake Browning ($400,000 guaranteed) for the backup job
- Daniels will be the first Buccaneers rookie QB to start since No. 1 pick Jameis Winston in 2015, with Easton Stick as his backup and Brett Rypien signed to the practice squad
- The 0-3 Buccaneers face a brutal stretch: Packers (home), Cowboys (Thursday night), Steelers, Panthers (road), and Falcons over the next five weeks
Why it matters: An 0-3 team now hands its offense to an undrafted rookie with zero regular-season snaps while navigating one of the toughest five-game schedules in football — and the $247,500 fully guaranteed practice squad salary Tampa Bay gave Daniels reveals how much the organization already believed in him before the Mayfield injury changed everything.
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