Baker Mayfield may be trending in the right direction after dislocating his thumb in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reason to slow things down before Week 6.
The bigger issue isn’t whether Mayfield is getting healthier. It’s whether it makes sense to throw him back into the lineup so soon against the Pittsburgh Steelers after Tampa Bay already found something with Jalon Daniels under center.
That change came after a rough opening stretch. The Bucs started 0-4, and three of those losses came with Mayfield running the offense. Then Daniels stepped in and helped deliver the team’s first win in Thursday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.
It wasn’t a flashy performance, but it mattered. Daniels gave Tampa Bay a jolt, and the offense looked functional for the first time this season. He also followed up an admirable first start in a loss to the Green Bay Packers by lifting the unit against Dallas.
His energy seemed to spread through the roster. The team played with more confidence, and the offense ran more smoothly than it had in the first month. That helped the Bucs put up their second-most points of the season.
That’s why bringing Mayfield back before he’s fully ready could be a mistake. Daniels has earned the right to keep this thing moving, at least until Mayfield is truly at full strength.
The concern goes beyond performance. Mayfield signed a major extension this offseason, and Tampa Bay cannot afford to gamble with a throwing-hand injury that could worsen if he comes back too early.
A dislocated thumb on the throwing hand makes everything harder. Gripping the ball gets tricky, the ball security can suffer, and the velocity on his throws can drop.
There’s also the turnover risk that comes with forcing him back before the thumb is right. With the Steelers up next, the safer move is simple: let Mayfield keep rehabbing, no matter how badly he wants to get back on the field.
The season is still alive, too. Tampa Bay remains within shouting distance of the NFC South lead, which makes patience even more important.
The Bucs finally found a step forward with Daniels. The wrong move now could send them backward fast, and that would only turn up more pressure on the front office and coaching staff.
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