Tampa Bay finally has Baker Mayfield back in the mix.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Friday that Mayfield is “good to go” for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, and the team expects him to return to the starting lineup after missing three games with a dislocated thumb.
Mayfield was hurt in Tampa Bay’s Sept. 27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, then sat out the next three contests. The initial timeline left open the possibility of a six-week absence, so getting him back in less than a month is about as good as the Buccaneers could have hoped for.
That matters because Tampa Bay has spent the last three weeks leaning on an undrafted rookie free agent under center. Jalon Daniels showed flashes, and he even helped the Bucs beat the Dallas Cowboys in Jerry World, but the strain showed clearly in Sunday’s loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Daniels went 22 of 43 for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The biggest mistake came on a pass picked off by former Buccaneer Jamel Dean with less than two minutes left, a turnover that set up a key Steelers field goal. Daniels did steady the offense enough to force overtime with a tying field goal drive, but Tampa Bay still lost after he took a sack on the final play.
If Mayfield remains healthy the rest of the way, Daniels’ stint as the starter will end with 501 passing yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Mayfield opened the season as Tampa Bay’s quarterback, throwing for 615 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions across the first three games. His return comes after a rocky offseason built around the “will he or won’t he?” question of whether he would land a new deal with the Bucs.
The agreement eventually got done, but the early results were rough. Tampa Bay started 0-3 with Mayfield, and the slide has only deepened since he went out.
The Buccaneers are 1-5 now, and the climb back is steep. Only four teams in league history have gone from 1-5 to the playoffs, and the 0-4 hole Tampa Bay once faced has been even harder to escape - just one team, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, has pulled that off and reached the postseason.
In Other News...
Bucs Legend Warren Sapp Draws Heat For Another Off-Field Controversy
Warren Sapp has spent decades as one of the most recognizable figures in Buccaneers history, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle whose playing career and later coaching stops have kept him in the football conversation long after his retirement. But a viral video that surfaced this week has shifted the attention back to something far less flattering, adding another uncomfortable chapter to the public image of one of Tampa Bays most celebrated legends.
The clip reignited scrutiny over Sapps conduct off the field, coming after another widely circulated run-in earlier this year drew a different kind of attention. For a player whose football rsum still carries real weight in Tampa Bay circles, the latest controversy only deepens the sense that his post-playing legacy keeps getting complicated by incidents that have nothing to do with the game itself. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Need Help At One Position Before Panthers Game
The Buccaneers are heading into their matchup with the Panthers with another roster shuffle on their hands, and this one hits a spot where depth already mattered. Christian Rozeboom had been a useful piece at inside linebacker, giving Tampa Bay some stability behind the starters, but the team moved him to injured reserve as it adjusts for the stretch run.
In the same transaction window, the Bucs brought David Sills V back from injured reserve, giving them an extra body at receiver at a time when that group is taking hits of its own. The timing matters because Tampa Bay may need him sooner rather than later, which leaves the defense to sort out how it replaces Rozeboom while the offense keeps bracing for more attrition before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get Encouraging Injury News With Sunday Still In Doubt
The Buccaneers got a little healthier on the practice field this week, with several players back after dealing with illnesses. Bucky Irving and Zyon McCollum were both limited participants, while Calijah Kancey was able to log a full workout, giving Tampa Bay at least some encouraging signs as it prepares for a divisional matchup with Carolina.
Emeka Egbukas status remains one of the bigger questions hanging over the week, and right tackle Luke Goedekes availability is also still unclear. With both sides releasing full injury reports, the Bucs have some positives to work with, but the final picture for Sunday still feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]