Baker Mayfield’s season just went from tough to absolutely brutal, hitting the ground clutching his right hand. The Buccaneers quarterback dislocated his thumb on his throwing hand during their Week 3, 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a gut-wrenching moment for a team already staring down an 0-3 record. You felt that one even through the TV.
The Crushing Fourth-Quarter Blow That Rocked Them
Dude, this play was absolutely gut-wrenching. Fourth-and-13, less than two minutes ticking down, Bucs down just four points. Mayfield scrambled hard in the backfield, trying to buy time. But as he’s getting hit, he fired off a pass right into Andrew Van Ginkel’s hands for an interception. Immediately, Mayfield was seen on the ground, writhing in serious pain, screaming as he clutched his right hand. It was one of those moments that just makes you wince, seeing a player in that much agony. He eventually had to walk off with trainers, heading straight for the locker room. Before that awful moment, Mayfield had completed 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, tossing one touchdown and that one interception. A tough stat line made even tougher by the injury.
An 0-3 Start With a Hefty Price Tag and No Relief
This injury hits even harder when you consider the brutal start the Buccaneers are enduring. They’re now staring down a dismal 0-3 record after tough losses to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and now the Vikings. What a start, right? And get this: just three weeks ago, Mayfield inked a massive three-year contract extension, a deal averaging $55 million annually! That made him the No. 3 highest-paid quarterback in the entire NFL. Now, his throwing hand, the most important part of that $55 million investment, is dislocated. Talk about a brutal, unexpected turn of events. This isn’t just any rough start either; it’s the Buccaneers’ first 0-3 start since 2014. According to CBS Sports Research, they’re the sixth team in the past decade to kick off the season 0-3 with *all three losses* coming in agonizing one-score games. That’s just gutting, pure and simple. After Mayfield left, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels stepped under center. He managed one rush for nine yards but couldn’t complete any of his three passing attempts, including a Hail Mary that got intercepted by Isaiah Rodgers. No real spark there.
So what now for the Buccaneers? Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed the dislocated thumb and said Mayfield’s getting an MRI tomorrow to see the full extent of the damage inside. This team is already in a deep hole, 0-3, and now their big money QB is hurt. They’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. You just gotta wonder how they pull themselves out of this mess, and what this means for their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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