The MRI from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's right thumb dislocation against the Minnesota Vikings came back with mostly positive results for the former Oklahoma Sooner. But while Mayfield avoided any tendon or ligament damage that would cost him a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the injury to the quarterback's throwing hand will cost him at least some time. And that means undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is going to get a start, more than the brief cameo he got at the end of the Minnesota game.
In his few pass attempts in the defeat to the Vikings, Daniels showed a live arm, just as he did in the preseason when he won the right to be Mayfield's backup by a wide margin, beating out veteran signing Jake Browning. As Bucs fans saw last season when Teddy Bridgewater took the field for an injured Mayfield in primetime against the Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield is always one ill advised scramble away from being bounced out of the lineup, so the job of the Buccaneers backup quraterback is an important one.
The Buccaneers are in a situation they kind of knew would happen at some point this season but were hoping Baker would at least clean up his act enough to avoid it happening this soon. But Baker had to keep running backwards, he finally got a hit that he couldn't get up from, and now it is Jalon Daniels's turn to take the reigns of the offense.
Jalon Daniels has nothing to lose amid Tampa Bay Buccaneers' lost season
But while Buccaneers fans would have been nervous about that if they were told this exact scenario would happen two months ago, few are concerned at this point. Sadly, that's because Mayfield has played so poorly for the Buccaneers since signing a massive contract that there is nowhere to go but up for Daniels.
While an undrafted free agent quarterback stepping in to start for a team that is playoffs or bust seems like it would be a lot of pressure, the Buccaneers, right now, are in the driver's seat for the No. 1 pick and winless. And their previous quarterback played himself out of being labeled a franchise QB by costing the Buccaneers in all three of their games.
Daniels is raw, but he is exciting. And he can't possibly be more turnover prone or make worse decisions than Baker, who regularly missed wide open stars Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. on almost every play. And his scrambling was more likely to yield a sack than positive yardage. It hurts to say, but Daniels can honestly play with no fear of failing as Mayfield set him up with the lowest bar to clear at quarterback.
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