Baker Mayfield will not play in Week 6, leaving the Tampa Bay Qb conversation to continue without him as the Buccaneers prepare for a third straight start from Jalon Daniels. The encouraging part for Tampa Bay is that there is now optimism Mayfield could be back in Week 7, even if his absence is already shaping the early-season picture.
Mayfield dislocated his thumb in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings, and the Buccaneers had already been expecting him to miss at least three weeks. On Friday before Week 6, the team ruled him out, which means Daniels is set to start again on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Daniels gets another chance to hold the line
Daniels has helped keep Tampa Bay moving, including a Week 5 win over the Dallas Cowboys. That matters because the Buccaneers entered Week 6 at 1-4, and every result from here feels significant if they are to stay relevant in a crowded NFC picture.
The numbers from Daniels' first stretch as starter have been solid enough to justify keeping him in the lineup. He has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 615 yards, two scores and two interceptions, while also adding 11 carries for 65 yards and one score. For a team trying to survive without its first-choice quarterback, that kind of production has at least given Tampa Bay a chance.
The Week 7 question
Tom Pelissero's update offered the one piece of good news Tampa Bay can cling to: optimism that Mayfield could return in Week 7. That does not guarantee anything, but it does give the Buccaneers a realistic target after a difficult stretch without their starter.
The bigger concern is what the record already says about the margin for error. Tampa Bay are a long shot to make the playoffs with Mayfield sidelined, and the NFC South is already looking like a division where Carolina and Atlanta can both believe they have a path forward. If the Buccaneers are going to stay in the race, they may need Daniels to keep them afloat long enough for Mayfield to come back and settle the position again.
