Baker Mayfield out at least three weeks with dislocated thumb; rookie Jalon Daniels to start
Baker Mayfield dislocated his throwing thumb in the Buccaneers' 23-16 loss to Minnesota, and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will start for an 0-3 Tampa Bay.
Baker Mayfield will miss at least three weeks after dislocating his right thumb, his throwing thumb, in the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on 27 September, per ESPN and NFL.com. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will start in his place, per NFL.com, for a team that is 0-3, per ESPN.
How it happened
The injury came with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-13 play, Mayfield was hit by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel as he threw, and the pass was intercepted, per CBS Sports.
The scan the next day brought the best news available in the circumstances. An MRI on 28 September showed no fracture and no damage to the ligaments or tendons in the thumb, and surgery is not required, per ESPN.
The timeline
Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield will be out for at least three weeks, per NFL.com, and the quarterback is expected back for the 25 October game against Carolina, per NFL.com. Tampa Bay's next game is in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers on 4 October, per NFL.com, and Daniels will start it.
Daniels, who played his college football at Kansas, joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted rookie, per NFL.com. Bowles pointed to his summer and to the support around him. "He played well in the preseason. He's very bright, and he won't be out there by himself," Bowles said, per NBC Sports.
Mayfield's season so far
Before he was hurt against Minnesota, Mayfield completed 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, per CBS Sports. Across three games he has 615 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, a 63.5% completion rate and an 80.0 passer rating, per ESPN.
| Mayfield, 2026 | vs Minnesota | Season (3 games) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 217 | 615 |
| Completions / attempts | 17 / 34 | 63.5% completion rate |
| Touchdowns | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 2 |
| Passer rating | - | 80.0 |
All three defeats were by seven points or fewer. Tampa Bay lost 33-27 to Cincinnati, 23-19 to Cleveland and 23-16 to Minnesota, per ESPN, a combined margin of 17 points across the three defeats.
| Opponent | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | Lost 33-27 | 6 |
| Cleveland | Lost 23-19 | 4 |
| Minnesota | Lost 23-16 | 7 |
Jefferson avoids a long layoff
The same game left Minnesota with an injury worry of its own. Justin Jefferson sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and did not return, per ESPN. His MRI showed a sprain with no long-term damage, per ESPN.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell described the result as good news. "He avoided anything long term. It's just going to be about progressing throughout the week and where we can get him to from a standpoint of getting the swelling out and then what kind of work week he can have. But I was very encouraged to get that news today," O'Connell said, per ESPN. Jefferson has a chance to play in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, per ESPN.
The win moved the Vikings to 3-0, per Vikings.com.
What comes next
For Tampa Bay, the next three weeks run through Daniels. The first test is Green Bay on 4 October, and the date to watch is 25 October against Carolina, when Mayfield is expected back, per NFL.com. For Minnesota, the week's question is whether Jefferson's ankle settles in time for the Dolphins game.