Baker Mayfield left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night with a concussion. This unfortunate development has in turn led to speculation about his availability in this week’s important game against the Arizona Cardinals. The shocking loss dropped the Buccaneers’ record to an abysmal 6-5 on the young season. They’re not giving up—they’re fighting to the last for that playoff berth!
Mayfield’s injury happened late in the first half when he took a shot at a Hail Mary-style pass from the Tampa Bay 37-yard line. He hit the turf, obviously hurt, immediately following the pass. That prompted the coaches to mark him as questionable to return after the half. Ultimately, he was ruled out soon after to end the third quarter and Teddy Bridgewater entered as his replacement. Before leaving the game, Mayfield was 9-of-19 passing for 41 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
The day after the game, an MRI confirmed that Mayfield had a low-grade AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. Fortunately, there wasn’t any further damage found, easing much of the concern about his condition. Mayfield only sustained a sprained ankle and will not have any long-term damage. Considering he’s never missed a start in his three seasons with the Buccaneers, that’s quite a feat to play all 45 regular-season games.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles praised Mayfield’s toughness in his reaction to the injury.
“I mean, when he goes out, he’s obviously really hurt because he’s a tough guy,” – Coach Todd Bowles
Bowles continued, stressing the need to adjust their offensive plan of attack should Mayfield not be able to go. “He’s a different quarterback, so schematically, we’ll have to do some different things for him to make him feel comfortable within the offense and do a lot of things he likes to do,” he stated.
Although uncertainty surrounds Mayfield’s status for the upcoming game against Arizona, Bowles expressed confidence in Bridgewater’s abilities as a backup. “At the same time, we all have confidence in Teddy. We know what he can do and we know what kind of confidence level he brings, too,” said Bowles.
As the Buccaneers get ready for their next match-up, the team is optimistic that Mayfield will be back in a short period of time. The coaching staff will keep a very close watch on him all this week as they prepare for Sunday’s game.
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