The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ season might be over after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
The Buccaneers are 0-4 and trying to match the only team in NFL history to recover from a start that poor to make the playoffs — the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
No NFL team has ever bounced back from a 0-5 start to make the postseason.
If the Buccaneers do bounce back and make a miraculous comeback this season, it will have to be without 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield, who will miss his 2nd consecutive game with a thumb injury suffered at the end of a Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Buccaneers will also be without NFL All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
“Buccaneers officially ruled out Antoine Winfield Jr. and Baker Mayfield for Thursday night’s game in Dallas,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Wednesday.
UDFA Rookie QB Jalon Daniels to Make 2nd Start
The Buccaneers will start undrafted free agent rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels for a 2nd consecutive game against the Cowboys.
Two weeks ago, that probably would have been an enticing proposition. After the Cowboys traded for Pittsburgh Steelers star cornerback Joey Porter Jr., it’s much less appealing.
Daniels was all over the place in a 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, going 19-of-27 for 148 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, along with 55 rushing yards.
The key for the Buccaneers might be leaning into the running aspect of Daniels’ game — he averaged 6.9 yards per carry against the Packers.
“One of many things I cannot get over from Zac Robinson’s game plan in Week 4 — zero designed runs for Jalon Daniels, accomplished rushing QB at Kansas,” NFL reporter Jon Ledyard wrote on his official X account.
Real Talk: When Will Todd Bowles be Fired?
Another loss almost certainly guarantees that Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles will be without a job soon — if that hasn’t already been decided.
Bowles entered the 2026 season on the hot seat, and it’s only gotten hotter as his team has looked lost across the 1st month of the season.
In 2025, the Buccaneers started the season 5-1 before stumbling to an 8-9 finish and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Perhaps the most damning moment for Bowles came after the loss to the Packers when NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs — regarded by many as the NFL’s elite offensive tackle — was asked about Bowles’ job security.
Baker Mayfield Injury Update: Will Bucs QB Face Cowboys on Thursday Night Football?