Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Still wearing glove on throwing hand
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Mayfield, who was a full practice participant Wednesday, said that he's still taking a day-by-day approach when it comes to wearing a glove to protect his dislocated right thumb, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Mayfield returned to action in Week 7 after a three-game absence but wasn't asked to do much in a 43-13 win over the Panthers, as he attempted just 11 passes while the Buccaneers relied heavily on the running game. He wore a protective glove on his throwing hand Sunday, and Mayfield looks like he'll continue to do so again Week 8 versus the Falcons. Given how last week played out, the Buccaneers may continue to favor a run-first attack, even though Atlanta's defense has struggled to defend the pass in 2026.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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Mayfield didn't have to do much in Week 7 at Carolina with Tampa Bay's run game and defense dominating the Panthers. But that could change in Week 8 in a plus matchup against Atlanta, and then Mayfield has another favorable matchup in Week 9 against Chicago. He could be useful in deeper, one-quarterback leagues, and Mayfield should be added for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Extremely light workload in return
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Mayfield completed seven of 11 passes for 64 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and rushed once for one yard in the Buccaneers' 43-13 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
Making his return from a three-game absence due to a thumb injury, Mayfield had the luxury of being eased back in thanks to a highly positive game script. Tampa Bay already held a 33-6 lead by halftime, which Mayfield contributed to by tossing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson with four seconds remaining in the first half. Mayfield didn't have to do much else during a cakewalk of a second half as well, but it did allow him to work off some rust ahead of a Week 8 home divisional clash against the Falcons next Sunday.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Cleared to start Week 7
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Mayfield (thumb) is active for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Following a three-game absence, Mayfield returned to practice this week as a full participant from Wednesday through Friday. Tampa Bay still elected to list him as questionable heading into Sunday, but Mayfield's availability was never in any peril after he experienced no setbacks with his dislocated right thumb throughout the week. Though he'll be back under center for the first time since Week 3, Mayfield will be wearing a specialized glove on his right hand that offers added support to the injured joint in his thumb, per Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site. Mayfield will be returning to the lineup without his top target at his disposal, as wideout Emeka Egbuka (concussion/foot) has been ruled out.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Officially listed questionable for Week 7
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Mayfield (thumb) was a full participant in Friday's practice but is listed questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Coach Todd Bowles already said earlier Friday that Mayfield is good to go for Week 7, so it would be a shock if the veteran quarterback isn't under center Sunday. It will be Mayfield's first action since Week 3 against the Vikings. Jalon Daniels will head back to QB2 duties once Mayfield is officially cleared.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Cleared to return Sunday
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Mayfield (right thumb) is cleared to play Sunday at Carolina, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
After missing Tampa Bay's last three games with a dislocated right thumb, Mayfield will return to action against a Carolina team that's 2.5 games ahead of Tampa Bay in the NFC South standings. With wideout Emeka Egbuka (concussion/toe) listed as doubtful, Mayfield will likely look to Chris Godwin, Ted Hurst and Tez Johnson as his top targets at wide receiver.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Another full practice
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Mayfield (right thumb) practiced fully Thursday.
This marks a second straight uninhibited practice for Mayfield as he seeks his first game action since Week 3 due to a dislocated right thumb. Per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, Mayfield again was wearing a glove on his right hand Thursday, and afterward the quarterback told Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site that he "feels fine gripping and throwing," with the biggest concern enduring hits and taking the ball under center. Head coach Todd Bowles has yet to announce a Week 7 starter between Mayfield and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, but that'll likely occur Friday ahead of Sunday's road matchup with the Panthers.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Logs full practice Wednesday
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Mayfield (right thumb) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
After sitting out the last three games due to a dislocated right thumb, Mayfield was expected to practice Wednesday and ended up handling every rep, according to the team. Head coach Todd Bowles told Smith earlier Wednesday that Mayfield "looked pretty good" while throwing, which he did with a glove on the afflicted hand. Bowles also relayed to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com that he likely will make a decision on who will get the Week 7 start between Mayfield and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels on Friday. At the very least, Mayfield's activity level Wednesday has him in a decent spot ahead of Sunday's contest at Carolina.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Back at practice, as expected
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Mayfield (thumb) was seen participating in Wednesday's practice and was throwing while wearing a glove on his right hand, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Just as head coach Todd Bowles suggested would be the case Monday, Mayfield was able to get back on the field for the Buccaneers' first day of Week 7 prep in what marked the veteran quarterback's first appearance in practice since dislocating his right thumb Sept. 27. Per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, the Buccaneers are preparing for undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to make a fourth straight start this Sunday at Carolina, but Mayfield could change those plans if he shows that he can grip the football securely and throw without any major hindrance during the team's practices this week. The Buccaneers will release their first injury report of the week later Wednesday, when it will be known whether Mayfield was a limited or full participant in practice.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Week 7 Waiver Priority List
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Mayfield (thumb) could return in Week 7 at Carolina after missing the past three games, and hopefully, he can finish the season strong despite a poor start. He scored 14.2 Fantasy points or less in his first three games this season, but he faced Cleveland and Minnesota during that stretch. His upcoming schedule is much better with Carolina, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Carolina again in his next five games. In deeper leagues, you can add Mayfield for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Ruled out for Sunday's game
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Mayfield (thumb) will not play Sunday, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Coach Todd Bowles confirmed what had been made obvious by Mayfield's continued absence from practices. There hasn't been anything said about his Week 7 chances, but the fact that it wasn't even a close call for Week 6 isn't the best sign. Jalon Daniels will make another start Sunday against Pittsburgh.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: 'Not quite ready' this week
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Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Thursday that Mayfield's right thumb is "just not quite ready" this week, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Mayfield officially hasn't practiced so far this week due to the dislocated right thumb that he sustained back in Week 3 against the Vikings, but head coach Todd Bowles told Greg Auman of Fox Sports that the quarterback was slated to attempt throwing Wednesday. Clearly, Mayfield is making progress away from the practice field, but until he mixes into drills in some capacity, he'll continue to cede starts to undrafted rookie signal-caller Jalon Daniels on game days.
Mayfield (thumb) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Mayfield has yet to practice or play since sustaining a thumb injury late in Tampa Bay's Week 3 loss to the Vikings. He looks to be headed for a third consecutive absence Sunday against the Steelers, which would pave the way for Jalon Daniels to remain in the starting role under center. Daniels guided the Buccaneers to a win over Dallas in Week 5 after losing to the Packers in Week 4.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Officially DNP on Wednesday
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Mayfield (right thumb) officially didn't practice Wednesday.
However, head coach Todd Bowles said that Mayfield will attempt to throw Wednesday afternoon as he progresses in his recovery from a dislocated right thumb, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. It remains unclear if Mayfield will be able to mix into any drills Thursday and/or Friday, but if he does, it'll mark his first on-field activity since initially suffering the injury in Week 3 against the Vikings. In Mayfield's stead, undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels has directed to Buccaneers to a 1-1 record.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Likely to remain out Week 6
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Mayfield (thumb) "might do some stuff in practice this week" but appears unlikely to play Sunday against the Steelers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
After dislocating his right thumb late in a Sept. 27 loss to the Vikings, Mayfield was given a rough recovery timeline of 3-to-6 weeks. The veteran quarterback recently transitioned to a smaller splint for his thumb, which the Buccaneers hope will allow him to resume gripping and throwing the football this week. While Mayfield might have an outside chance at suiting up Sunday if he ends up returning to practice within the next day or two and is able to throw without any limitations, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels still appears to be trending toward a third consecutive start at this stage of the week.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Mayfield (thumb) is expected to miss three weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Earlier Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported than an MRI on Mayfield's dislocated right thumb ruled out a fracture as well as any tendon or ligament damage. While Mayfield appears set to avoid surgery, he'll still need some time off to regain strength in his thumb so that he can properly grip the football and throw accurately and at full velocity. Per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Bowles said that Mayfield won't be placed on injured reserve, so the Buccaneers could be targeting a Week 10 game in Carolina for his return to the lineup. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will step in as the Buccaneers' new starting quarterback beginning with Sunday's game versus Green Bay.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: MRI yields good news, but set to miss time
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Mayfield underwent an MRI on his dislocated right thumb Monday that revealed no fracture, tendon or ligament damage, but the quarterback is still expected to miss time, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Mayfield is scheduled to get a second opinion on his thumb, so the Buccaneers may not provide a formal timeline for his recovery until he meets with another specialist. That being said, the dislocated thumb on his throwing hand will inhibit Mayfield's ability to grip the football, so the Buccaneers are expected to hold him out for at least their Week 4 game. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels came on in relief of Mayfield late in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings and looks on track to make his first NFL start this weekend at home against the Packers.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Falls flat in revenge game
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Mayfield completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding four rushes for 29 yards in the Buccaneers' 23-19 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
There had been buzz surrounding Mayfield's matchup against the team that drafted him first overall in 2018, but the veteran signal-caller couldn't deliver a revenge victory. Mayfield looked surprisingly out of sorts most of the afternoon against a Browns defense that had been dominated by the Jaguars in Week 1, and after an extensive weather delay, he went just 1-for-4 for six yards once play resumed at the two-minute warning with the Buccaneers at Cleveland's 28-yard line and needing a touchdown. Mayfield added another turnover on his late first-quarter interception as well, putting him firmly in the spotlight heading into a Week 3 home date against an aggressive Vikings defense next Sunday.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: QBs to Start
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Mayfield battled injuries in the second half of 2025, but he started the season strong when he was healthy with at least 22.9 Fantasy points in five of his first six games. He enters Week 1 with Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) expected to play against the Bengals, and this game has the highest projected score of the week at 50.5 total points. Cincinnati's defense should be improved this season, but the Bengals were still No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Mayfield has top-10 potential in Week 1.
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Pair of completions on first two series
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Mayfield completed two of four passes for 10 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Buccaneers' 16-15 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
As expected, Mayfield made his preseason debut and worked the first two series with a short-handed pass-catching crew that was down Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee), Tez Johnson (groin) and Cade Otton (undisclosed). Mayfield's completions went to Kameron Johnson (11 yards) and David Sills (minus-1 yard), and Saturday's brief appearance likely represents the extent of preseason action Mayfield will see ahead of a Week 1 road showdown with Joe Burrow and the Bengals on Sunday, Sept. 13.
