“Optimism” Baker Mayfield (thumb) back in Week 7

Mayfield wore the protective glove during last week’s game to avoid further damage to the thumb he injured in Week 3. Mayfield attempted only 11 passes in his return against the Panthers last week, but that was all he needed in a game where the Buccaneers totaled over 250 yards on the ground. Hopefully the shedding of his protective glove is a sign that he’s no longer at risk of re-injury heading into Week 8’s game against the Falcons.

Making his first start since Week 3 but missing Emeka Egbuka, Mayfield got his first “quarterback win” of the season in a game where he had to attempt only 11 passes. Go figure. The Bucs road paved the Panthers on the ground — 49 carries for 258 yards — and continually took advantage of short fields set up by Panthers turnovers. This, in a game where Mayfield committed zero giveaways. It was the exact kind of day this offense needed, though there aren’t many going-forward takeaways for Mayfield seeing how little he had to throw. Mayfield will presumably be called on for more against the Falcons in Week 8, hopefully with Egbuka back in the fold. Mayfield is just a mid-range QB2 for the time being.

When last we left Mayfield, he was struggling mightily in Weeks 1-3. Predictably, UDFA Jalon Daniels was not any better in his stead. Mayfield returns to an undermanned skill corps, as Emeka Egbuka (foot, concussion) is out for Week 7. Mayfield is a shaky option in the QB16-18 range. Joining Egbuka on the shelf are OT Luke Goedeke, S Antoine Winfield, OG Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart and CB Ayden Garnes.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles told reporters earlier today that Mayfield “looks like he’s ready to go” for this week’s game. Mayfield seemingly has solid odds of suiting up this week, but we must wait for an official ruling. Hopefully, that arrives tomorrow. If active, Mayfield will play with a protective plate on the back of his glove to help keep his recently dislocated thumb in place. He is a QB2 for the occasion, if active.

Mayfield was a full participant in practice all week and should be removed from the team’s final injury report when it’s released later in the day. Mayfield is expected to wear a protective glove on his throwing hand, which should prevent injury to the thumb he dislocated in Week 3, and will be on the QB2 radar in what is a must-win game for the 1-5 Buccaneers. Hopefully he can improve on a rough start to the season in which he threw for 615-2-2 in his first three games while completing 63.5 percent of his passes.

Mayfield has played through injuries regularly over the years. We expect him to be out there for the Buccaneers’ Week 7 game against the division rival Panthers. He is a QB2 for his first game back. A run-heavy game plan could be in the works as they ease him in. If his thumb really is good to go, though, this game could turn into a shootout. He practiced in full for the second time this week on Thursday, and told reporters that he will play with a protective plate on the back of his glove to help prevent re-injury.

Mayfield going down as a full participant is a bit of a surprise given that it’s his first time practicing in any capacity since Week 3. Todd Bowles told reporters earlier this week that the team was preparing for Jalon Daniels to start. Now it looks like Mayfield may be the favorite to draw the start versus Carolina. This is ultimately a rather ambiguous situation, likely by Bowles’ design. Fantasy managers should have a backup plan in place if they are counting on either of the Bucs’ quarterbacks this week.

Mayfield hasn’t played since dislocating his thumb in Week 3. As of late last week, he hadn’t even thrown a football since suffering the injury. Todd Bowles told reporters on Monday that he’s preparing for Jalon Daniels to start, but Mayfield’s return to practice puts things up in the air. His practice statuses over the next few days will be telling. For now, fantasy managers should still plan on seeing Daniels under center, but this is a situation to monitor throughout the week.

Bowles has already said that the team is preparing as if Jalon Daniels will start in Week 7, but the team will be evaluating Mayfield to see how he is progressing in his recovery from a dislocated thumb. Mayfield reportedly pushed to play last week after throwing on Monday, but his thumb swelled up, which factored into the decision to sit him in Week 6’s loss to the Steelers. Given Bowles’ comments about the team’s plans entering the week, it sounds like Mayfield is at risk of missing at least one more game, but we’ll see how his hand responds when he gets on the field on Wednesday.

Bowles said this week will be an important evaluation week for Baker Mayfield, who is still rehabbing a dislocated thumb that has sidelined him since Week 3. Daniels hasn’t been overly impressive in his three starts this season, throwing for 501 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions while also taking nine sacks. That said, he did manage to pull off a win over the Cowboys in Week 5 and had the Buccaneers in position to beat the Steelers in Week 6 before Pittsburgh erupted for 16 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. We’ll see how things unfold throughout the week, but it sounds like Mayfield is at least one week away from returning. Daniels would be on the fantasy radar as a low-end QB2 if he gets the start against Carolina.