Mayfield left for the locker room after injuring his right hand while throwing a late interception, with rookie Jalon Daniels replacing him .
Well, folks, it seems the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Baker Mayfield has found himself in a bit of a pickle—more specifically, a dislocated thumb pickle. If you tuned in to the thrilling nail-biter against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, you might have noticed that Mayfield’s thumb took a direct hit during a fourth-and-13 play. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well for his digit.
In a game that ended with a resounding 23-16 loss for the Bucs, Mayfield’s injury was the cherry on top of what was already a rough day. After the game, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles broke the news that Mayfield would be going through an MRI on Monday. Luckily, X-rays showed no fractures, so it could’ve been worse—though I’m sure Mayfield’s thumb would disagree.
Now, let’s set the scene: with just 1:39 left in the game, Mayfield threw an interception to Minnesota’s Andrew Van Ginkel. At that moment, he was hit by Blake Cashman, and it was as if the universe collectively winced in sympathy as he went down in pain. He was seen grabbing his bloody thumb (yikes!) and yelling, which is a totally normal reaction when you realize your thumb is not where it’s supposed to be.
After writhing in agony, Mayfield managed to walk off the field, but not without a little dramatic flair—he slammed his helmet to the ground on his way to the locker room. Hey, at least he’s got a flair for the theatrical, right?
Now, with Mayfield sidelined, the Buccaneers are left with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels as their only other quarterback on the roster. Daniels entered the game with just 33 seconds left and completed a whopping zero of his three passes. Not exactly a confidence booster, huh? One of those passes ended in an interception, which is always a fun way to end a game—said no quarterback ever. He did manage to scramble for 9 yards, so there’s that.
Looking ahead, Coach Bowles indicated that Daniels would be stepping in as the starting quarterback for the next game against the Green Bay Packers—unless, of course, Mayfield’s thumb pulls a miraculous recovery. And if you’re wondering about Easton Stick on the practice squad, well, he’s got a less-than-stellar record of 0-4 as a starter with the Los Angeles Chargers, so let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
On the bright side, Mayfield did manage to complete 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, with one touchdown and an interception before his unfortunate thumb incident. The touchdown was his 199th in the NFL, so at least he’s got that going for him—if he can focus on anything other than his throbbing thumb.
As the Buccaneers look to regroup after this latest setback, fans are left wondering how long Mayfield will be out and if Daniels can hold the fort against the Packers. One thing’s for sure: the Bucs can’t afford to go winless for much longer, or they might have to start looking for a new quarterback—again.
So here’s to hoping Baker’s thumb heals up quickly, and that we see him back on the field soon. In the meantime, let’s all send some good vibes his way—because if anyone can bounce back from a dislocated thumb, it’s Baker Mayfield. Or at least, we hope so. Stay tuned, folks!
Inspired by: “Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield dislocates thumb vs. Vikings” (r/News)