Baker Mayfield To Miss A Minimum Of Three Weeks; Jalon Daniels Will Start Week 4
September 28th, 2026
The winless Bucs’ next three game are against the Packers at home, the Cowboys on the road, and home for Pittsburgh.
(Yes, those home games will feel like road games.)
Per Todd Bowles today, the Bucs don’t expect Baker Mayfield to be their starting quarterback in those games. “We’re probably talking a minimum of three weeks [for Mayfield’s return,]” Bowles said.
The head coach confirmed Mayfield’s dislocated thumb late in yesterday’s game did not include a serious injury like a tear. And he said Mayfield won’t need surgery.
Bowles also said Mayfield could come back sooner, but it won’t be this week.
On Sunday against the Packers, Bowles confirmed undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels will start.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
We can easily go 0-3 with Jalon and at least understand why.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
it wouldn’t bother me if he didnt play another down for tampa. let him be someone else’s problem
September 28th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
We got a decent chance of winning with Mayfield out
I wouldn’t rule out 3-0 without him
September 28th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
How much time will it take this dislocated offense to heal?
September 28th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
Well… everyone gets to rag on Rod Munch while his backup dream also falters with this new lack luster OC and Todd’s fantastic defensive schemes.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:48 pm
Not good.
However – could it really be any worse Buc fans?
Yesh.
What a dumpster fire so far.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:48 pm
And now the real carnage will begin… a rookie UFA QB playing behind that OL, for that OC under the worst coach in the NFL…
THIS MESS IS ALL ON TEAM GLAZER.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Sadly our garbage starting O-line is still playing. 0-6 loading…
September 28th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Meh…as crappy as the Bucs have looked, this actually gives me a ray of hope and at worst, should make for entertaining losses.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
Bruce Gradkowski 2.0 or Shaun King 2.0?
September 28th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
Money wise, the Glazers would be smart to bring back Trask, after Jalon on the roster. Jalon flounders, then bring in Kyle. Fans would watch just to see their view proven of him – he’s good, he’s bad.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Jalon might be able to out Baker Baker… He’s a better runner and has a quicker release. If he can make good decisions I don’t think we’ll see much of a drop off.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
I heard our GM was putting in a call to Colin Kaepernick’s agent…
I hope that fella can still play.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Best case scenario. Baker needs a break, he’s trying too hard
September 28th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
Wow! And our genius GM and head coach thought it was smart to keep an undrafted rookie quarterback as our back-up. Well, I don’t think Jalon can be much worse than Baker at this point.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:54 pm
This can’t be right! A fake know-it-all doctor on here said he should have been better after one play!?
September 28th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
All Jalon Daniels need is reps with the starters
I’m not saying he’s going to set the league in fire
But,he can’t possibly do any worse than our $165 million flop
September 28th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
packers defense is a high school defense compared to vikings defense the offense should look better even if licht was qb
September 28th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
@ Aqua
“Baker needs a break”
Nice double entendre…
He got a “break” fo-sho!
September 28th, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Get ready for 3 straight wins with Daniels at QB and then a return to offensive futility when Baker returns…
September 28th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Hey hey hey we’re the Buccaneers…
Ho ho ho we’re the Buccaneers….
September 28th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Tank for Manning
Hopefully we can keep up with the Titans and Texans
Looking to go 0-4 next week !
Let’s go
Season is going just as planned
Whatever you do, don’t fire Bowles
September 28th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Thank goodness. He needs a mental break and to watch film on how to sit in the pocket for as long as possible and to understand if he gets pushed out of the pocket, just throw it away.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Just when you didn’t think the train wreck could get any worse. The good news is we should hold steady on getting that number 1 draft pick. Bad news is this will just be another excuse to retain Bowles at the end of the season. They are going to go but he had so many injuries and a new OC learning a new offense. Lets just hope we are not all doing this again next year with Bowles.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Here’s an oldie –
“Here comes the vacuums!”
Just getting flashbacks after watching this sh!tshow.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
The funny thing is, Daniels might be better suited to play behind this so-so offensive line. I mean, he can scoot. And he’ll have to scoot.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
“Tbbucsfan Says:
September 28th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Thank goodness. He needs a mental break and to watch film on how to sit in the pocket for as long as possible and to understand if he gets pushed out of the pocket, just throw it away.”
I could see saying this for a year 1-2 QB, but not after 126 NFL games played. If you don’t know that by now, you’ll never know. Mayfield is 31 not 21.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
If he can hit open receiver’s in their catch radius maybe the pa kers will help us liked they did yesterday
September 28th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
I want to see this kid Daniels play. You never know Buc fans. He just might win a few? Other teams have no tape on him at the NFL level. Could he…rally this team?….without TODD BOWLES getting in the way?
September 28th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Gruden could coach this offense to a few wins. End the Bowles era. Move on for all of our sakes. No one can listen to the same post game press conference nonsense answers. We have to do more, we can’t afford stupid, costly penalties, we have to coach better, we have to block better, we have to execute properly, we have to hold on to the ball, we have to tackle better, we need to get back to fundamentals, no one is coming to save us, etc etc. Buc fans don’t deserve this bland pie the Glazers are feeding us. Give Zac Robinson the interim job and see if he can do that job, clearly over his head as the offensive coordinator. Fans will be opposing teams fans, not Buc fans unless they enjoy watching the weekly nightmare unfold in person. Thank God I didn’t renew my season tickets. Go Bucs!
September 28th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Turd Blows said we just have to block it better on the O Line!!!!!
OMG!!!! He’s a guru!!!!
HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 28th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Who will be the backup’s backup?
September 28th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
I remember the vacuums. The crowd booed when it came on the Jumbotron.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
cant coach healing a thumb so todd is off the hook for anything that happens this season. maybe a new coach in 2028?
September 28th, 2026 at 1:12 pm
Here’s the issue….I don’t see us trying to pick up a decent vet because if the offense then starts to produce, the Bucs have a QB controversy that they don’t want after extending Baker. I think we should maybe do what the Giants did and trade for a low cost young QB that could be added to our stable of reserves to groom. Maybe the Dillon kid in Cleveland or Richardson with Indy. Another backup that we can hang on to and possibly give the next HC some options.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
Maybe jalon is a Rockstar and the offense hits on an cylinders…
September 28th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
One thing is for sure. Jalon Daniels can not possibly Play any worst then Mayfield has the last dozen or so games
September 28th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Don’t return baker carr you suck just retire bucs don’t need you and many bucs fans don’t want you
September 28th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Rob, give up The gruden fantasy. He will never coach for this team again. Never. Nor would I want him to even if he were available to do so. For reasons that should seem obvious.
I’ve heard a lot of people saying that this opens up the RPO situation. I think that’s a recipe for disaster. All we need is this kid getting hurt because he’s running too much. He’ll have to run enough as it is. Design a reasonably truncated offense for him and let’s see what he can do.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
Well he is mobile, that will help
September 28th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
im looking forward to watching JD10
GO BUCS!!!!
September 28th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
ok this isn’t so bad – losses at home GB PIT and one in Dallas – then a divisional road game in Charlotte against Canales – so at that point the Bucs are 0-7 and
0-1 in the division – Baker comes back for the Atlanta game – Baker runs the table with maybe road losses in BAL and DET – so at that point the Bucs are 8-9 and 5-1 in a “trash” division – another division title and a deep Super Bowl playoff run for Bowles and Licht – extend Licht and Bowles another 5 years – easy peasy
September 28th, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Bucs have won 2 games out of the last 12 games with Baker under center. It has been awful football, the worst football I have ever watched. My husband refuses to watch Bucs game anymore. Playing a different quarterback is the best thing that could happen to this team. It cannot possibly hurt or get worse. Unless of course the O-Line allows Jalon Daniels to get killed. I have much more confidence in Jalon then I do in Baker. I advocated for the Bucs to use the tag next year on Baker but this is a stupid team with even more stupid owners.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Let the Jalon Daniels experiment begin!
I love Baker Mayfield…but if Jalon Daniels can do like Tom Brady did all those years ago, I’ll take it!
And if Jalon Daniels does very well as a starter, it means we have a very good backup.
And if the losing streak continues? We can lose 7-8 games and still potentially make the playoffs.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:36 pm
can-we-get-rid-of-licht-now-please, be a man and keep your old name.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Well the good news is that once Baker is healthy, everything will be different, he’ll return to being the MVP Baker we know and love.
He just has to be healthy, and thankfully, this isn’t worse, so we’ll have our MVP QB back in a few weeks. In the meantime we just have to hope that Daniels doesn’t singlehandedly tank our season. If Daniels can just got 4-0 over the next month, we’ll be right back in it, and MVP Baker can then come in and take us to the promise land.
But if Daniels can’t win ever start, basically, he’s singlehandedly cost us everything since we all know Baker was just about to start his MVP streak.
Very bad timing indeed.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Geez, prayers for Jalen because this OL has lost it’s way, along with Baker.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
I can already see it now, they will rush him back, he will continue to play bad, then we will hear all season that he’s only bad because he has a bum thumb
September 28th, 2026 at 1:43 pm
Dom, I just hope it’s good enough so he can stick it out on the side of the road when the fans sing, “Hit the road Jack, and don’t you come back no more…”
Oops, sorry, I was fantasizing there for a moment…forgot, he’s our best QB option.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
Where’s Steve V at these days??? I miss him shouting down anyone not saying that Bucs will win 12 games at minimum.
Guess the over the top lemming speak and constant Pom Pom waiving are harder to do when you’re 3-11 in your last 14 games.
The Todd Bowles myth has been thoroughly demolished once and for all.
Just glad my eyes and brain continue to function at optimum levels.
Unlike so many in the Pom Pom squad.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:57 pm
You Baker basher are fools. Does Baker 1. Play on kick coverage 2. Play O/L and get called for holding & lousy blocking 3 Play and miss tackles on defense 4. Call his own plays. ( running 75% of the time on 1st down). Perhaps coaching may be a bit of the problems
September 28th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
^^^^^ 🤮
September 28th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
September 27th, 2026 at 10:08 am
Well I voted no…by accident. My old man brain read the question as “Will the Vikings beat the Bucs”.
Frustrating.
Stpetematt Says:
September 26th, 2026 at 4:56 pm
I have a weird feeling this will be higher scoring than you’d expect. Bucs 31-23.
Kenton Smith Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 7:49 am
I believe we’re on the verge of righting this ship.
Mayfield and Bowles are going to get this thing turned around. I’m thinking we win 12 of the next 15. If we stay fairly healthy.
I keep receipts. Lakeland gets a pass because he is by his own admission sunnily optimistic.
September 28th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Arch Manning sucks.
September 28th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
It’s over ladies and gentlemen. It’s over. See you in 2027.
September 28th, 2026 at 2:21 pm
I’m wondering what Liam Coen and Mike Evans are thinking about all this
September 28th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
word from the locker room immediately following Bucs disastrous game 3 conclusion is Jason Licht was crestfallen after checking on Baker Mayfield’s thumb injury. When pushed on why he was so down, Licht responded “It’s still attached.”
Arch Manning is a terrible QB – million $ athlete with a 10 cent brain hyped by a famous last name- he will bust in the NFL because of slow processing, late reads and inaccuracy
September 28th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Negativity breeds negative results…. I get it all of you need to vent well this ain’t SH@T compared to many years from the beginning! Seasons bring ups and downs hey we have 2 SB wins under our belt in 50 years I can go down the list of teams with less if any you can’t win them all. We do questionable hires and directions that sometimes make no sense at all, but all teams do look at Dallas what have they done since their last SB win… dookie squat that’s what! So a HC change in TB is warranted agreed GM maybe OC and DC changed out yes. What the Bucs need to do this year to really evaluate what they have what to dump and what to keep. There are some very qualified HC’s available right now that can make a big difference for the Bucs… I will remain optimistic hope for some wins and who knows in our division win the NFC South… We got Brady right… so you never know what can happen. GO BUCS!!!
September 28th, 2026 at 2:31 pm
This will give him some valuable time with his children. Hopefully, he can work on his character while he is out. Cowardly Lion would not even appear in post game interview.
September 28th, 2026 at 2:52 pm
31-year-old Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension five days before the start of the 2026 season. Through three games, he has the lowest EPA per dropback (-0.30) of any quarterback with at least 50 pass attempts this season.
September 28th, 2026 at 3:10 pm
0-6 and basement in the NFCS!
September 28th, 2026 at 3:13 pm
It sure would be funny if Daniels wins 3 in a row , but then what do you do when Mayfield is healthy?????????
September 28th, 2026 at 3:15 pm
Some fun stats:
Baker, 615 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 6.4 ypa, 80.0 passer rating, 35.8 QBR
Lawrence, 616 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs, 7.6 ypa, 107.8 passer rating, 77.0 QBR
Amazing how they’re within 1 yard of each other, and yet they’re two completely different players. Baker has been complete trash, while a 77 QBR is absolutely outstanding, MVP level if Lawrence can keep it up.
And to think people around here gave me a hard time when I repeatedly said I’d dump Baker for Lawrence in a second.
Also, Baker’s QBR is alarming since we’ve seen this from him before. For two seasons, 2022 and 2023, Baker had a 40.9 QBR followed by a 26.3 QBR, which was the lowest QBR over that span. So this isn’t new from him.
Hopefully when Baker gets back he snaps out of this extended 2-10 slump and starts playing like at least a middling QB.
And WOW did the Glazers cost themselves ton of money by meddling with team affairs. Even if Baker bounces back, they still could have saved many tens of millions of dollars. Licht can’t say, “I told you so,” but he should be saying that. I really hope he got some assurance from the Glazers that he would not be responsible for their meddling since it was clear Licht didn’t have much interest in extending Baker.
September 28th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
Todd Says:
September 28th, 2026 at 3:13 pm
It sure would be funny if Daniels wins 3 in a row , but then what do you do when Mayfield is healthy?????????
——–
I honestly don’t see that happening, an UDFA rookie QB playing early rarely goes well- but I’d love to see it happen.
But if it did happen, Baker would go back in as the starter, and it’s 100% because of that awful contract. He’s too expensive to bench.
September 28th, 2026 at 3:21 pm
They said Mayfield was screaming on the sidelines. I have seemed ladies and children very few have screamed like a baby. Arms shoulders yes I understand.
A 55M baby. Sry he’s hurt but come on it’s a dislocated finger. I saw a lady come to work after falling on her dislocated finger that was turned around. She was working till we had to talk her into going to an ER or a clinic.
September 28th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
How stupid to you have to be, to think a Pro Bowl QB, who won two NFC South Championships in 3 years,
Suddenly forgot how to play?
Pretty fing stupid.
You don’t think it’s our new Offensive Coordinator? The guy who sucked and got fired in Atlanta? Nah.
Or the worst ranked pass blocking line in the NFL? Nah
Or a room full of sh*tty wide receivers? Nah.
Or a Lousy Defense that gives away the lead at every opportunity? Can’t be
Or a Head Coach, who is lost. Made the playoff Jets worse every year he coached there, until they were bottom of the division- kinda like here! Could he ultimately be the problem? No, of Course not.
The QB forgot how to play. That’s what some fools on here believe.
Chr*st, I hope you don’t breed.