The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to contemplate a future — even short-term — without quarterback Baker Mayfield after he hurt his thumb in a Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
With Mayfield sidelined for at least 3 weeks, the winless Buccaneers have done such a poor job restocking and paying attention to the backup quarterback position that they now find themselves starting a stretch of games with undrafted rookie starter Jalon Daniels.
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano thinks the Buccaneers should take a page from the book of the New York Giants, who went out and traded for a former 1st-round pick languishing on the bench after their starter, Jaxson Dart, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, by trading for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Bucs Urged to Trade for Former 1st-Round Pick
In this case, the Buccaneers would try to cut a deal for Indianapolis Colts quarterback and 2023 No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, who lost his starting job to Daniel Jones in 2025 and never got it back.
“The Buccaneers shouldn’t overly think about what’s best for Mayfield, especially not when he has more turnovers (five) than total touchdowns (three) through three games this season,” Manzano wrote on September 30. “GM Jason Licht should call up Colts GM Chris Ballard and ask about Anthony Richardson Sr., the 2023 No. 4 pick who’s now serving as Daniel Jones’s backup. Richardson improved in the preseason, and a change of scenery could help him get back on track toward reaching his potential. If the Vikings can get a fifth-rounder for McCarthy, Ballard could probably do the same for Richardson. For the Buccaneers, it might be at least worth a phone call, even if it means upsetting Mayfield. Or ride out this bumpy season with the current quarterback options and let the chips fall where they may.”
Anthony Richardson’s Epic Crash and Burn in Indy
Richardson lost his starting job multiple times before he fractured his orbital bone in pre-game warmups early in the 2025 season and never returned.
If Richardson’s career is truly in jeopardy, he has no one to blame but himself.
Trailing by 2 scores late in the third quarter of an eventual 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season, the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson took himself out of the game on 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Not because he was hurt, but because he was tired.
“I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson,” ESPN host and former Colts punter Pat McAfee wrote on his official X account. “The QB is your franchise. The message it sends is loud and influential.”
The blowback was fast and furious and led to Colts head coach Shane Steichen eventually benching Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco.
“Anthony Richardson’s career was clearly over the minute he tapped out of that game last season,” X user Karan wrote on his official X account. “You just can’t recover from something like that.”
Buccaneers Urged to Trade for Disappointing Former No. 4 Overall Pick