Baker Mayfield Held Back While Lamar Jackson and Caleb Williams Inch Closer to Returns
Baker Mayfield badly wants to return for the Buccaneers but odds are it’ll be Jalon Daniels at QB for one more week.
The NFL injury report is currently reading like a triage unit for franchise quarterbacks, but we finally have some clarity on who is actually suiting up this weekend.
According to Mike Garafolo on Good Morning Football, is practically begging to get back on the field for the . But the medical staff is apparently holding the line, meaning Jalon Daniels is the heavy favorite to get one more start.
Daniels just helped steer the ship to a 24-16 win over the , so there is zero reason for to rush Baker back. Letting your starter heal while the backup secures a road win is the NFL equivalent of finding a twenty-dollar bill in your winter coat.
Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson and are both officially inching back for the and , respectively. That is exactly the kind of vague coach-speak that drives betting markets insane, but it beats being ruled out on a Wednesday.
survived without Lamar in a 30-23 shootout win over the , proving their system can hold up for a week. But you do not want to test that theory twice if you can avoid it.
, on the other hand, desperately needs back under center. They just got absolutely dismantled by the 31-7, and the vibes are currently in the basement.
To make matters worse, Garafolo noted the Bears will be without star edge rusher Montez Sweat, who is serving a suspension. Trying to fix a broken offense while your best defensive player is forced to watch from his couch is a recipe for a very long Sunday.
Keep an eye on the Friday practice reports for Lamar and Caleb. If they log full sessions, the lines on those games will shift immediately. As for , they can comfortably ride the Jalon Daniels experience for one more week before handing the keys back to Baker.