Baker Mayfield Out 3–6 Weeks; Rookie Jalon Daniels Starts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will miss at least three weeks with a dislocated right thumb, and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is set to start Sunday against Green Bay, NFL.com and ESPN reported as Week 4 opened.

Coach Todd Bowles told reporters Monday that Mayfield’s MRI showed a dislocation without additional ligament or tendon damage and that surgery is not expected. Mayfield needed stitches after the injury in Tampa Bay’s 23-16 loss to Minnesota. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the realistic window is three to six weeks, depending on how quickly Mayfield can grip a football securely again.

The Buccaneers did not place Mayfield on injured reserve Saturday. The earliest possible return points to Week 7 at Carolina. Daniels, 23, becomes the first rookie quarterback to start an NFL game this season. The Kansas product went undrafted, won the backup job over Jake Browning, and entered relief last Sunday.

CBS Sports, citing Schefter, places the same 3-to-6-week range on fantasy and injury desks. The MRI’s clean ligament and tendon finding remains the key positive. Tampa Bay is 0-3 for the first time since 2014.

For readers tracking NFL injury and depth-chart news, the verified Oct. 4 picture is narrow: Mayfield’s throwing-hand dislocation carries a three-week minimum and possible six-week ceiling; Daniels starts against Green Bay; and no unverified practice reports or speculative trade chatter are included here.