Baker Mayfield's Thumb Escapes Major Damage, But the Winless Bucs Are Still in Trouble

A dislocated throwing thumb is the kind of injury that makes you wince just reading the notification, but somehow the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are spinning this as a win. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Baker Mayfield's MRI showed no additional damage to his right thumb.

The immediate reality is that Mayfield is still going to miss time. He is currently seeking a second opinion, which is standard operating procedure when your primary money-maker gets bent in a direction it was never designed to go.

"ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the MRI showed no additional damage and that Mayfield is seeking a second opinion."

For a team desperate for a spark, "no additional damage" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The Buccaneers are sitting at a miserable 0-3 after dropping a 23-16 game to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Mayfield suffered the injury during that loss, leaving the field under his own power but clearly in distress. Head coach Todd Bowles initially noted that X-rays were negative, and this MRI result at least confirms the structural integrity of the hand is intact.

But an intact hand that cannot grip a football does not help you win games in October. The betting markets are going to treat the Tampa Bay offense like a radioactive asset until there is absolute clarity on who is taking snaps under center.

The schedule offers zero sympathy for a winless team trying to figure out its quarterback room. The Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday before heading to Dallas for a primetime clash with the Cowboys in Week 5.

If Mayfield's second opinion confirms a multi-week absence, Tampa Bay's season might effectively be over before the Halloween decorations even hit the front porch.