The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without Baker Mayfield in Week 4, but their starting quarterback is already pushing to return sooner than initially expected.
Mayfield is scheduled to have the stitches removed from his injured right thumb on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Pelissero reported that removing the stitches will be an important step in Mayfield's recovery as he attempts to beat the three-week timeline initially given for his return.
Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand late in Tampa Bay's 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. An MRI the following day showed no fracture or tendon tear, and head coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield was expected to miss at least three weeks.
The injury will end Mayfield's
streak of 57 consecutive regular-season and postseason starts since joining the Buccaneers in 2023. Tampa Bay officially ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, leaving undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to make his first NFL start.
Getting Mayfield back on track to the original timeline would be significant for a Buccaneers offense entering an important stretch of its schedule. Tampa Bay has a short turnaround after Sunday's game, traveling to Dallas for a Thursday night matchup in Week 5, making a quick return difficult. The Buccaneers then host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 before beginning NFC South play against the Carolina Panthers.
For now, the Buccaneers will get their first look at Daniels as their starting quarterback while Mayfield continues his recovery. Monday's scheduled removal of his stitches should provide another step forward and potentially a better indication of how quickly Mayfield can regain enough strength and comfort in his throwing hand to return.
The original expectation was that Tampa Bay would be without Mayfield for at least three weeks. Less than a week after receiving that prognosis, Mayfield is already working to shorten that absence.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Baker Mayfield pushing to beat initial timeline for return
