Baker Mayfield is expected to start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. ESPN reports he has practiced fully after missing three weeks with a dislocated right thumb. The team sits at 1-5, making this game a must-win for their season. He will wear a special glove with metal reinforcement to protect his hand.
A Metal Reinforcement For A Broken Thumb
The equipment staff got creative to help him. They reached out to the Tampa Bay Rays for advice on how to build a protective pad. The final result is a glove with a pad on the back of the thumb and metal inside to stop it from bending backward. It sounds like a lot of extra gear, but Mayfield says it feels natural.
He told reporters on Thursday that the adjustment was the hard part. “It’s just like me wearing a glove,” he said. The big worry was the impact of the ball when he snaps it from under center. That contact used to scare him, but now he says, “It feels fine gripping it, throwing it.” When a player trusts his hands again, the whole offense starts to breathe easier.
His rookie backup, Jalon Daniels, played well enough to win one game against Dallas. But the Bucs need their veteran leader back. Mayfield has not missed a start since joining the team in 2023. He signed a massive $165 million contract extension before this season started. That money is on the line, and so is the pride of a franchise that has lost five games.
Why The Bucs Must Fix Their Mistakes Now
This team is in a deep hole. They are last in the NFC South with a 3-2 Carolina team waiting for them. Mayfield admits the team has been overthinking things. “We weren’t doing the little things right,” he said. He does not think his teammates are dumb, but they are hesitating when they should be moving fast.
The numbers show a team that has struggled. Mayfield has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions while losing three fumbles. He has been sacked 13 times. The offensive line is playing better now, but they need to stay on the same page with the quarterback. “You need to understand that you build this system based on timing,” Mayfield explained.
He knows the injury was painful. “Anytime you dislocate something there’s gonna be ligament damage,” he said. The surgery I required was not for ligaments and tendons, as it just so happened. He is back because he believes his hand is “strong enough to be able to play.” That confidence is what the fans need to see on Sunday.
The Bucs wasted a 16-3 lead in their loss to Pittsburgh and lost in overtime. They cannot let that happen again. With Mayfield back, the team has a chance to stop the bleeding. He has played through pain before in his career, starting with his time in Cleveland. He knows what it takes to win when things are tough. The metal glove might look strange, but it is the sign of a fighter who refuses to stay on the bench.