Mayfield's thumb stitches come out Monday as Buccaneers QB eyes early return

The Tampa Bay quarterback is due to have the sutures removed from his dislocated right thumb on Monday as he chases a return faster than the forecast three-week absence.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is closing in on a meaningful recovery milestone as he works back from a dislocated right thumb. According to a Saturday report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the stitches in Mayfield's thumb are due to come out Monday, a step Pelissero cast as significant in the quarterback's bid to make it back in under the three weeks originally forecast.

The injury occurred during the closing stages of Tampa Bay's Week 3 defeat against Minnesota, which ended 23-16 last Sunday. Mayfield took a hit in the fourth quarter as he threw a pass that the Vikings intercepted, injuring his throwing hand, and he did not take the field for Tampa Bay's final possession.

Testing that followed brought reassurance on the structural front, with the MRI showing no fracture and no tendon damage. Head coach Todd Bowles nonetheless set a floor of three weeks for the quarterback's absence. The setback also broke a run of 57 straight starts for Mayfield, every game since his 2023 arrival in Tampa Bay.

Statistically, Mayfield closed his afternoon at 17 completions in 34 attempts for 217 yards. He added one touchdown pass and one interception before the injury forced him out of the seven-point defeat.

His totals across three games this season stand at 61 completions on 96 attempts for 615 yards, together with two touchdowns, two interceptions and an 80.0 passer rating. All three of the games the veteran signal-caller has started in 2026 have ended in Tampa Bay defeats.

Command of the offense now passes to rookie Jalon Daniels, who stepped in after Mayfield exited the Minnesota game and will make the first start of his NFL career on Sunday. The rookie has reportedly outlined a 'thermostat' plan heading into the game. There was encouraging news on another front as well: wide receiver Chris Godwin, nursing an ankle injury, returned to practice ahead of the Green Bay matchup, though the report did not specify his status for Sunday.

Week 4 carries weight for both sides. Tampa Bay arrives at 0-3 and remains in search of its first win of the year, while Green Bay, at 1-2, has ground to make up as well. Mayfield will sit out Sunday's game as his recovery continues.

Monday's procedure nonetheless counts as tangible progress. Should Mayfield heal faster than the original projection, Tampa Bay could have the quarterback under center again ahead of the expected schedule, a potential lift for a team trying to climb out of a winless opening stretch.

Green Bay's visit to Raymond James Stadium is set for Sunday, October 4, at 1:00 PM EDT. The Week 4 game airs on FOX.