Baker Mayfield’s Status For Week 7 Uncertain

Mayfield has missed three straight games since he dislocated his right thumb in a Week 3 loss to the Vikings. If Mayfield is going to return to game action this week, he will have to prove to the Buccaneers that he can function in practice, per Garafolo. While head coach Todd Bowles expects Mayfield to practice Wednesday, the team is game planning as if backup Jalon Daniels will start, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times relays.

“I mean, he’s supposed practice Wednesday,” Bowles said of Mayfield. “We’ll take a good look at him there, and we’ll kind of evaluate him during the week and see how he does.”

Mayfield is now in his fourth year in Tampa Bay, though it appeared in early September that it could be his last with the team. After Mayfield and the Buccaneers could not close the deal in extension talks, the 31-year-old cut off negotiations when training camp began in late July. At that point, Mayfield was on track to play a contract year and potentially leave in free agency next offseason. But the sides unexpectedly reached a three-year, $165MM agreement on Sept. 8, keeping Mayfield under wraps through 2029.

At $55MM per year, Mayfield is tied with five others for the third-highest average annual salary at the position. So far, however, he hasn’t justified his raise. In his first three starts of the year, Mayfield averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt, threw as many touchdowns as interceptions (two) and posted an 80.0 passer rating. He ranks 51st among 56 signal-callers in EPA per play (minus-33.63), outdoing only Cooper Rush, Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Ward and Justin Herbert.

Despite Mayfield’s early season struggles, it is fair to say there will not be a QB controversy when he is ready to return. Daniels has fared better than expected as an undrafted rookie, particularly in a prime-time road upset over the Cowboys in Week 5, but has still recorded unspectacular numbers. The Kansas product has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in each of his three starts, averaged 5.1 per attempt, tossed more INTs (five) than TDs (three), and put up a dismal 63.3 rating. He’s 46th in EPA/play (minus-0.17), checking in five spots higher than Mayfield.

Whether it’s Mayfield or Daniels at the helm this week, the Buccaneers already find themselves in something close to a must-win situation. At 1-5, they are stuck in last place in the NFC.