Mayfield Dislocates Thumb in Buccaneers' Loss
23 sourcesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb on fourth-and-13 with about two minutes left in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Trailing by four, he threw an interception to Andrew Ginkel, could be heard screaming in pain on the FOX broadcast as his thumb bent awkwardly, and walked to the locker room holding his right fist. X-rays at Raymond James Stadium showed no fracture. Coach Todd Bowles confirmed the dislocation after the game. Ian Rapoport reported, "#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb, per coach Todd Bowles. MRI tomorrow. But likely to miss time." Mayfield completed 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked six times. Rookie Jalon Daniels took over for the final 28 seconds; his Hail Mary was intercepted, sealing the loss that left Tampa Bay at 0-3. An MRI is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28. Dr. Jesse Morse said, "Fracture – 2-6 weeks (specifics, surgery). This would be throwing thumb, which impacts accuracy and velocity. We should know more tomorrow after the MRI/CT. There’s a possibility he plays in Week 4 if this is just a mild sprain." Availability remains uncertain pending the MRI. Robert Griffin posted, "Prayers up for Baker Mayfield 🙏🏾."
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Daniels coming in cold probably sealed the loss, though Mayfield needs to hang onto the ball instead of forcing throws under pressure.
Mayfield dislocating his thumb on that pick might explain why the Bucs collapsed late, but they should have protected him better on obvious passing downs.
