Baker Mayfield sustained a dislocated thumb during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' clash with the Minnesota Vikings, with his screams of agony broadcast live on FOX. The injury occurred during the closing possession of the fourth quarter in the Bucs' 23-16 defeat.
Injury during final drive
With less than two minutes left and facing fourth-and-13, Mayfield was pursued by multiple Minnesota defenders. He dodged several tackles before being brought down near the touchline, resulting in an interception. After the play, Mayfield remained on the turf, glancing at his hands and twisting in agony. He tried to roll onto his back, striking the ground with his heel as severe pain set in.
As FOX kept its cameras on Mayfield while medical staff rushed to him, his anguished cries cut through the broadcast's audio, audible over the roar of supporters celebrating the decisive interception.
Replays and diagnosis
FOX later showed Mayfield heading to the locker room, his left hand cradling his right throwing hand. Replays indicated Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman made contact with Mayfield's right hand at the end of the play, potentially causing the injury.
Before the injury, Mayfield completed 17-of-34 passes for 217 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked six times during the defeat.
Coach confirms severity
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed Mayfield had dislocated his thumb and would need further tests. "He has a dislocated thumb. He is going to get an MRI tomorrow just to see exactly what inside is wrong with it, so we'll know more tomorrow," Bowles said. "I don't know that [how serious it is] yet. The X-rays didn't show that, so the MRI tomorrow [will] show more."
Bowles declined to specify a timeline for Mayfield's absence, but indicated he would consider Jalon Daniels as a replacement if the quarterback faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines. The coach also acknowledged the protection needed improvement, saying, "It's been up and down. There's a variety of things that can go wrong in protection. But we got to protect him and we got to help him get the ball out more. We got to run the ball better."
With the Buccaneers at 0-3, Bowles stressed the need for improvement: "We're 0-3 and we're a game out of first place, so we have to get our stuff together. We got to reach down and do more: To a coach, to a person, to a player."
The length of Mayfield's absence remains uncertain. Tampa Bay are next scheduled to face the Green Bay Packers on October 4.
