Buccaneers' Todd Bowles reveals when he'll make Baker Mayfield, Jalon Daniels decision for Panthers game

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles previously made it known that quarterback Baker Mayfield would practice on Wednesday as Mayfield attempts to return from the dislocated thumb on his throwing hand that has kept him out of action since Week 3. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Bowles discussed Mayfield wearing a protective glove on his right hand while throwing passes. 

Baker Mayfield is "coming along fine" amid recovery

"I think he’s coming along fine," Bowles said about Mayfield, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "I think once he got warmed up, it started looking pretty good as practice went on. So, we’ll continue to monitor and see how he goes through the week." 

Bowles added that he wants to "see what [Mayfield] looks like Friday" before making a decision on whether or not Tampa Bay's Week 1 QB1 will start when the 1-5 Buccaneers play at the 3-2 Carolina Panthers this coming Sunday. 

Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels has served as Tampa Bay's temporary starter since Week 4, and he helped the club earn a stunning 24-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. 

However, he threw a pair of interceptions and took five sacks in the Buccaneers' 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Daniels enters Week 7 ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 63.4 passer rating for the season. 

Buccaneers will know if Baker Mayfield is right by Friday 

Mayfield has a history of playing through physical setbacks, such as multiple injuries to his non-throwing shoulder, as a pro. That said, Bowles indicated he'll start Daniels against the Panthers if it's clear by Friday afternoon that Mayfield's throwing ability will be impacted by the thumb injury through this weekend. 

"This one is a thumb — you can kind of gauge it off of how he throws, and how he feels, and how he takes snaps under center, and how he feels afterwards," Bowles explained. "I think that’s kind of a different deal than the shoulder and the bruises and all those things. …This one you can see flat out, and you can kind of know if you want to play him or not."

As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Buccaneers as 3.5-point road underdogs against the Panthers. It will be interesting to see how that line moves, if at all, once Mayfield's status for the game is confirmed.