Baker Mayfield's Thumb Escapes Major Damage, But the Winless Bucs Are Still in Trouble
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the MRI showed no additional damage and that Mayfield is seeking a second opinion.
A dislocated throwing thumb is the kind of injury that makes you wince just reading the notification, but somehow the are spinning this as a win. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, 's MRI showed no additional damage to his right thumb.
The immediate reality is that Mayfield is still going to miss time. He is currently seeking a second opinion, which is standard operating procedure when your primary money-maker gets bent in a direction it was never designed to go.
For a team desperate for a spark, "no additional damage" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The Buccaneers are sitting at a miserable 0-3 after dropping a 23-16 game to the on Sunday.
Mayfield suffered the injury during that loss, leaving the field under his own power but clearly in distress. Head coach Todd Bowles initially noted that X-rays were negative, and this MRI result at least confirms the structural integrity of the hand is intact.
But an intact hand that cannot grip a football does not help you win games in October. The betting markets are going to treat the offense like a radioactive asset until there is absolute clarity on who is taking snaps under center.
The schedule offers zero sympathy for a winless team trying to figure out its quarterback room. The host the next Sunday before heading to for a primetime clash with the in Week 5.
If Mayfield's second opinion confirms a multi-week absence, 's season might effectively be over before the Halloween decorations even hit the front porch.