Baker Mayfield “Racing” To Return Next Week
October 17th, 2026
Target: Charlotte.
Baker Mayfield just ran out of time. But that doesn’t mean the Bucs’ starting quarterback is taking his foot off the pedal.
Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Mayfield did all he could this week to get back on the field for tomorrow’s home game with the Steelers. The sands of the hourglass ran out on him.
Mayfield, per Pelissero, threw but Pelissero was told from his contact within One Buc Palace that Mayfield couldn’t hold the football well enough to use his normal throwing motion. Instead, Pelissero typed, Mayfield was pushing the ball.
Not good enough.
Mayfield did some throwing this week, but he wasn’t quite able to throw with his normal motion, forcing him to push the ball as he continues to regain grip strength. He was racing to beat the minimum three-week timeline that doctors had given him, and that coach Todd Bowles had stated publicly. But Mayfield is close enough that, even if he’s not 100 percent in Week 7, the Panthers game is in play.
So it sure smells like Mayfield will start a week from tomorrow in Charlotte.
Mayfield, the Bucs’ $165 Million Dollar Man, has been in a horrible personal slump. Aside from his dislocated thumb, Mayfield’s Bucs are 2-10 in his last 12 starts, including 0-3 to start this season.
Meanwhile, his backup, Jalon Daniels, is 1-1 and is good enough that a former Bucs Super Bowl hero is calling for Daniels to start until his play falls off the map.
Enjoy Friday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast! It’s a must-listen before the Steelers-Bucs game.
How many expected points has each team lost to sacks so far this season, and how much of that is on the QB?
Data charted by @FTNFantasy pic.twitter.com/AiQi5TQJnd
— SFdata9ers🏈📊 (@sfdata9ers) October 15, 2026
October 17th, 2026 at 11:25 am
I hope we lose every game for the rest of the season. The geniuses over at Glazer inc seemingly won’t get rid of our regarded coach other wise. What a joke this team has become under Bowles. And it didn’t have to be this way. The SuperBowl high allowed Arians to somehow make decisions he had no business making.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Jason Licht should be fired
October 17th, 2026 at 11:28 am
Mr. mid QB will be back under center asap. He has $165 million reasons why.
That can’t be good for the GM that’s a little Licht in the loafers.
When Baker comes back and continues to lose games it could spell doom.
Our next HC will want his own GM if he’s worth his salt.
Cut the drift wood.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:38 am
I don’t know why people are crying about Mayfield’s contract. He’s an asset that the Glazers can trade literally at any time. Many teams would love to have Baker, and the truth is that when you’re at a place for some time entitlement can creep in and all you need is a change of scenery. Just cuz we paid him doesn’t mean we have to play him or keep him.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:40 am
Bucs are 2-10 in his last 12 starts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I read that stat one more time I think I’ll throw up and stop reading. They’re 1-0 start a new trend!
October 17th, 2026 at 11:43 am
@Capebuc: True…..as long as we get production from the position I don’t care who gets the Glazers money.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:45 am
Best time to draft a QB is when you have a QB. It’s a luxury being able to draft a QB high, and having him sit for a year. Only way that happens is if we keep losing. Regime change, new GM, HC, first round QB.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Good
Need two QB’s
May the best man win!
October 17th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Chalk the Panters game up as a loss.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:55 am
Take your time baker. Be 100% before returning. I agree with the above points that the best QBs such as Mahomes, Brady, Steeler guy, and the Raiders first rounder all sat behind of veteranS. Daniels may ir may not be the exception. If he gets beat up by the Steelers front four it could damage his psyche long term.. … Or not
October 17th, 2026 at 12:14 pm
If Daniel’s is injured I guess we can find a high school QB. We can all then get giddy about that too.
October 17th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Well the good news is one of the teams we beat in that awful stretch was the Panthers ,, win or lose this week ,if Baker is cleared to play next week , he will play. I would love to win this week but I think with all the division games left , if Baker gets hot we could still do a 9-8 or 8-9 and win division. Tomorrow we try to grind out a win , Running game, no turnovers , field position and Defense .. without turnovers I think it’s safe to say we would have won the Cinci, Cleveland and Green Bay games , the world would look a lot different
October 17th, 2026 at 12:48 pm
The more I hear from our “fans” about how great Daniels was, based on his Tom Brady-like performance against Dallas – minus of course the near Pick Six and the under thrown long pass to Tez – the more I want him to play and prove why no other team in the NFL drafted him!
October 17th, 2026 at 12:53 pm
Take your time, Baker. Get healthy. Let the kid play. Maybe learn from him how to not have happy feet in the pocket.
October 17th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
Arians said no to Brady sitting out two weeks of training camp so Brady pushes out Arians and management slips in Bowles ! Poof ! We instantly turn into spit under Bowles !
October 17th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Baker needs to let nature do its thing. The worst thing he can do is rush back and have a setback and/or play like crap because his ego can’t handle being on the sidelines.
October 17th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
That chart illustrates just how poorly Baker has played this year. I mean it’s glaring. Kind of makes me want to puke. On the other hand it offers hope for oline if they can just get average play from the QB position. Just more fuel to the fire brewing from JD’s spark. If the kid beats Pitt we’ll have a full blown QB controversy next week and our season will be far from over.
October 17th, 2026 at 3:08 pm
If baker can’t throw a long ball what’s the point? Will be too predictable.
October 17th, 2026 at 3:17 pm
Trade!! This is malpractice.
October 17th, 2026 at 3:52 pm
I was just thinking about this… It’s crazy, but I don’t believe that anyone really cares. Seriously. NO ONE I come across in my daily life never even mentions his name at all. He never comes up. Neither do the Bucs. Now, the RAYS are a different story! Especially, with the older population around Pinellas County. Baker is missed by NO ONE, at all. And, he hasn’t even started his year number-1 yet, of his new $55-Million PER YEAR Deal. I think that’s pretty crazy.
October 17th, 2026 at 3:59 pm
Everyone has now realized just HOW STUPID of a deal, that it really was.
October 17th, 2026 at 4:00 pm
Wyoming. Baker has actually thrown picks that lost us games and that’s not counting the almost picks he’s thrown since he’s been here. You are a true Baker fan boy and it seems like you hoping Daniels play bad . Lol 😆 🤣 but don’t worry he probably going to have a bad game one of these times he’s a rookie. Baker sucked last year down the stretch and this year we are 2-10 with Baker the past 12 games with Baker and 80 percent of those losses was on him . Baker is 0-3 with a top 5 defense so what do that tell you about Baker lol 😆 😂 another quarterback with no experience is playing better than him lol 😆 😂 .
October 17th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
@ Capebuc Says: “I don’t know why people are crying about Mayfield’s contract. He’s an asset that the Glazers can trade literally at any time. Many teams would love to have Baker”
You are freaking DELUSIONAL. You obviously know NOTHING about The NFL, or anything about any of the other teams and their current situations. I mean,do you NOT ever get tired (&/or) embarrassed of always being soooo miserably WRONG!? You are either completely CLUELESS, or just a damn LIAR. Because, what YOU just said, is not even CLOSE to being true. It’s not even in REALITY.
October 17th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Baker has ZERO value. Actually, he does… Only if you want to include having ‘NEGATIVE’ value. The Bucs would have to GIVE AWAY assets right now, in order for ANY team to be willing to take on THAT contract. You’d be REAL LUCKY to find even ONE TEAM, who would take an EARLY 2027 1ST. And, I bet you STILL couldn’t. Cause, NOBODY’s taking that BS on. Even, IF they could. Y’all still living inside of that weird (adult) Fantasyland. 💯
October 17th, 2026 at 4:34 pm
@ Hodad Says: Best time to draft a QB is when you have a QB. It’s a luxury being able to draft a QB high, and having him sit for a year. Only way that happens is if we keep losing. Regime change, new GM, HC, first round QB.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Moron. You wait until 2028, at LEAST. You. BUILD. The. Roster. FIRST. And, MUCH STRONGER QB-class at the TOP of ‘28, with SuperKamario, and Keelon Russell. You HAVE TO get one of them. And, you TAKE JEREMIAH FREAKING SMITH 8-DAYS A WEEK, if the opportunity to do so, is there. Plus, it does absolutely NOTHING to have your QB just sit on the bench for at least 2-YEARS, and completely WASTING HALF of his ‘Rookie’ level DEAL, the ‘number-1’ advantage of even DRAFTING ONE, in the first place. It’s STUPID and it’s THE MOST LAZY thing you can say, AND DO. “Ummmm, duhhhhhh, yeah, you have to DRAFT A QUARTERBACK.” I mean, that is literally THE ‘definition’ of having NO other PLAN, whatsoever… Cause, NO. YOU DON’T. There is NO-RULE stating that you have to DRAFT A QB. Just STUPID. Especially, with a TRASH ROSTER. Though, YOU continue to regurgitate it over and over again!? Because, of course, “YOU” DO.
October 17th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
The kids ceiling is 17 points , so we either win 17-13 or lose 20-17,,,, we know Bakers best days can produce 40 so quit the whole the Kid deserves to play ,, he’s the back up and hopefully he will be a 2-1 back up and not a 1-2 back up
October 17th, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Put Baker back in the day he’s fully healed…but not a minute before.
October 17th, 2026 at 5:53 pm
There is the same idiot with the “happy feet” slogans. Watch any tape of Peyton Manning in action and you will see the same “happy feet.” Pocket QB’s need to set feet to throw. Would be helpful if Baker didn’t always face the same mushy middle from an overrated O line.
October 17th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Fire sale!
Fire sale!
Fire sale!
October 17th, 2026 at 6:02 pm
Meanwhile the same idiots will just have to make do with Mayfield and his NFL second highest total TD passes in the last 3 years( all with Bucs).
October 17th, 2026 at 6:13 pm
What makes you the authority Melody ?