The third week of the 2026 NFL season delivered a rough one for two of Oklahoma’s most recent Heisman winners.
Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both came out of Sunday with forgettable performances, and Mayfield’s afternoon ended with something even worse. In Tampa Bay’s 23-16 loss to Minnesota, the Buccaneers quarterback suffered a hand injury in the fourth quarter. Afterward, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Mayfield dislocated his right thumb and will “likely miss time.”
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb, per coach Todd Bowles. MRI tomorrow. But likely to miss time. pic.twitter.com/U5jZKK1oQ8
Before the injury, Mayfield was already having a hard time finding a rhythm. He finished 17 of 34 for 217 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Murray’s day wasn’t much cleaner, even in victory. The Vikings beat Tampa Bay, but the former Sooner quarterback managed just 168 passing yards on 15-of-29 throwing, with a touchdown and an interception.
He also added 17 rushing yards. Murray is in his first season in Minneapolis after spending his first seven years with the Arizona Cardinals.
Mayfield, meanwhile, is in his fourth season with the Buccaneers. He helped Tampa Bay win back-to-back NFC South titles in 2023 and 2024 before the team just missed the playoffs in 2025. Earlier in the month, he signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension.
The two quarterbacks have plenty in common beyond their Oklahoma roots. Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017, and Murray took home the award in 2018.
Another former Sooner, CeeDee Lamb, put together a much better afternoon in Dallas’ 34-31 loss to Baltimore. The wide receiver led both teams in receiving, finishing with 112 yards on seven catches. Dak Prescott looked his way eight times, and Lamb came down with seven of them.
Through three games, Lamb has already piled up 309 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 20 catches. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six NFL seasons.
Defensively, rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels made his presence felt in Atlanta’s 35-14 win over Green Bay on Thursday. Daniels posted three tackles, including two solo stops, and added a tackle for loss. One play later, former Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. broke up a pass.
Daniels started his college career at Oklahoma State before finishing at OU. The Falcons picked him in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
San Francisco also got a strong outing from a fourth-rounder with Oklahoma ties. Gracen Halton, who played all four of his college seasons at OU, turned in his best game as a pro in the 49ers’ 36-30 win over Arizona. He totaled three tackles, two of them solo, with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
The game also brought bad news for another former Sooner. Trent Williams left in the third quarter, was carted off the field and taken to the locker room, and later it was revealed he had a “stinger.” He did not return.
Williams is one of the most decorated offensive linemen of the last few decades, with 12 Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors.
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Oklahoma Fans May Not Like What This Bye Week Really Means
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For Oklahoma, this pause is less about resting up and more about confronting the uncomfortable realities that have slowed the season. The quarterback room is still learning on the job, and the line has not consistently protected the passer or created room in the run game, which leaves the offense fighting uphill on nearly every series. A bye week can help clean up details, but it can only do so much when the larger problems are still sitting there in plain view. [Read more 🡒]