What We Know About Baker Mayfield's Dislocated Thumb Injury

Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb late in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the damage, coach Todd Bowles said, according to ESPN.

X-rays taken after the game did not show a fracture, Bowles said, a detail that could shape how the team handles Mayfield's practice schedule this week ahead of Tampa Bay's next game. The MRI will offer a clearer picture of soft-tissue damage that X-rays alone cannot detect.

How did Mayfield get hurt?

The injury occurred with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter, when a Mayfield pass was intercepted by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, per ESPN. The network's broadcast showed Mayfield in visible pain on the sideline afterward. The interception came in the closing minutes of a game Tampa Bay ultimately lost by seven points, 23-16.

What happens next for Mayfield?

The Monday MRI is the next concrete step. Bowles has not indicated whether Mayfield is expected to miss game time, and the team has not released a practice designation for the coming week. A dislocated thumb without a fracture can sometimes allow a player to continue with a brace or taping, depending on how it affects grip strength on the throwing hand — a significant variable for a starting quarterback who needs to control the football under pressure. Without further comment from the Buccaneers, that determination will likely follow Monday's imaging.

Who replaced Mayfield after the injury?

Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels entered the game in relief, according to ESPN. The report does not detail Daniels' statistics or how many snaps he played, and Tampa Bay has not said whether Daniels would be in line to start if Mayfield's MRI reveals an injury that keeps him out of practice or games this week.

What other injuries did the Buccaneers report Sunday?

Mayfield was not the only Tampa Bay player facing a Monday MRI. Wide receiver Jalen McMillan will also be examined after injuring his left knee, a source told ESPN. That test is expected to determine both the extent of the injury and whether it represents an aggravation of a knee issue McMillan dealt with during training camp. The dual MRIs — one for the starting quarterback, one for a wide receiver — leave the Buccaneers' offensive personnel picture unsettled heading into the short week.

Timeline of Sunday's developments

• Fourth quarter, 1:54 remaining: Mayfield's pass is intercepted by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel; Mayfield is injured on the play.
• Postgame: Bowles tells reporters X-rays showed no fracture in Mayfield's thumb.
• Postgame: A source tells ESPN that McMillan will also be evaluated for a left knee injury.
• Monday: Mayfield and McMillan are both scheduled for MRIs to determine next steps.

Final score: Vikings 23, Buccaneers 16.

Glossary

• Dislocated thumb: An injury in which the bones of the thumb joint are forced out of normal alignment, distinct from a fracture, which involves a break in the bone itself.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A scan used to visualize soft tissue — ligaments, tendons, cartilage — that standard X-rays cannot show, commonly ordered after joint injuries to rule out ligament damage.
• Practice designation: The NFL's injury-report classification (out, doubtful, questionable, full participant) teams use during the week to signal a player's likely availability for the next game.

Tampa Bay's next steps hinge on results the team has not yet made public. Readers looking for other developments from the same NFL slate can follow Sunday's Rams-Broncos matchup for additional Week 3 coverage.

How does Mayfield's injury compare with other Week 3 injuries?

Mayfield's afternoon was not the only injury story ESPN tracked from Sunday's Week 3 slate. Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane left with a knee injury that a team source described as not sounding "very optimistic," according to ESPN. Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was injured during the same game against Tampa Bay and was, in ESPN's phrasing, "close" to returning before the final whistle. San Francisco 49ers receiver Evans also exited Sunday's win with what ESPN described as a painful injury. None of those cases has been tied to Mayfield's thumb or to Tampa Bay's medical decisions, but they illustrate a Sunday in which several teams, not just the Buccaneers, entered the following week facing MRI results and uncertain practice designations for key offensive players.

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