Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield likely will miss at least three weeks after dislocating his right thumb Sunday.
The injury came in Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield’s throwing hand hit Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman during a desperation pass.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles set the timeline Monday.
“Right now we’re probably talking a minimum of three weeks,” he said. He does not believe Mayfield will need surgery or a stay on injured reserve.
Injured reserve would sideline him for at least four games.
The situation is dire in Tampa Bay. The team is now 0-3 and will play without its starting quarterback. Former Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians, a Super Bowl winner, put Mayfield on notice Monday.
Arians Sends Blunt Message to Baker Mayfield
Arians appeared Monday on the “Up & Adams Show” with host Kay Adams.
“Not making the plays that were there,” Arians said. “The offensive line is one of the best in the league and he’s got to quit doing this. You know? Just throw the damn ball away. That’s not his nature, I know. But this is how he always gets hurt. I haven’t had the conversation with him personally, but we need you on that field.”
Arians said he told Mayfield at their first meeting that running like that meant bigger shoulder pads.
Mayfield absorbed six sacks and 12 quarterback hits against Minnesota, the team said. Opponents have sacked him 13 times this season, the most of any NFL quarterback.
In 2026 so far, he has completed 61 of 96 passes for 615 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also lost three fumbles.
Arians is a senior football consultant for the Buccaneers. He stepped down as head coach in March 2022. The 73-year-old led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2021.
Bowles, then the defensive coordinator, succeeded him.
Tampa Bay’s Path Out of a 0-3 Hole
Tampa Bay sits one game behind first place in the NFC South.
Bowles said Monday that Jalon Daniels will start Oct. 4 against the 1-2 Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium.
The 23-year-old signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent. He played six seasons at Kansas and threw 67 touchdown passes and 31 interceptions there.
Only seven NFL teams have made the playoffs after an 0-3 start. The 1982 Buccaneers were one of them. They won five of their last six games in a strike-shortened season.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Put on Notice After Recent Right Thumb Injury