Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is one of the NFL’s toughest quarterbacks – a reputation he’s earned by playing through various injuries throughout his NFL career.
Mayfield went down with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. While the MRI was encouraging, revealing that Mayfield avoided any additional damage, the injury was significant enough to force the Bucs quarterback to miss some time.
Head coach Todd Bowles declared that Mayfield would miss a minimum of three weeks, and undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels will take over the starting role until Mayfield's return. But Mayfield is already looking to beat that timeline and return to action for his team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield could reportedly return from injury quicker than expected
According to JoeBucsFan, during the Thursday Night Football broadcast, Amazon NFL insider James Palmer reported that Mayfield could look to return sooner than Bowles’ initial three week timeline.
“Don’t be surprised if Baker tries to push this and come back after two [missed games],” Palmer said.
That sure sounds like Mayfield, who can’t stand to be on the sideline injured while his team is out on the field battling.
The Buccaneers’ upcoming schedule could play into Mayfield’s desire to return after just two games missed. Tampa Bay will face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday before facing the Dallas Cowboys just a few days later on Thursday Night Football.
After that, the Buccaneers 10-day mini-bye before their next game in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those extra few days could be all Mayfield needs to heal up and return to action.
The Buccaneers not only need him to return, but they need him to start performing like a franchise quarterback. Mayfield is arguably the primary factor in the team’s 0-3 start thanks to inaccuracy and careless turnovers.
But as eager as the Buccaneers are to get Mayfield back, and as much as he wants to play, he should be careful not to return before he’s ready. He’s already come under intense scrutiny for his poor play to start the year, and if he selfishly rushes back before he’s fully healthy, it could prove to be a detriment to the team.
Mayfield should do what’s best both for himself and the Buccaneers, which is to heal up until he’s truly healthy, regroup mentally, and come back firing on all cylinders and performing like the franchise quarterback that Tampa Bay knows he can be.
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