The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in must-win territory, meaning the health of star quarterback Baker Mayfield is paramount of the final five games of the regular season.
Mayfield suffered a low-grade sprained AC joint in his left, non-throwing shoulder last week against the Los Angeles Rams, forcing him to miss the second half of the 34-7 loss. It was the third-straight loss for the team that now sits at 6-5 on the season – just one loss better than the 6-6 Carolina Panthers, which the Buccaneers will see twice over the final five games.
Head coach Todd Bowles suggested Mayfield is trending toward playing. “He looked good today, so he is trending to play,” Bowles said after practice on Friday. “He had to get well. He was very limited on Wednesday, he did a little more yesterday and he moved around perfectly today, so he’s fine.”
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While the Buccaneers plan to start Mayfield at quarterback, the team has a backup plan in mind. Tampa Bay announced it added quarterback Connor Bazelak for extra depth behind backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today signed quarterback Connor Bazelak to the active roster, and elevated defensive back Marcus Banks from the practice squad to the active roster for the club’s Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. It marks the second elevation of the season for Banks,” the team said in a statement.
For Mayfield it’s all about pain management.
“I don’t think I was physically able to do the things I wanted to in 2021 with a hurt shoulder. That’s the biggest thing, [I] don’t want to hold this team back,” Mayfield said. “[This injury is] very different. I had dislocated my shoulder completely, had a torn labrum, partial [tear in the] rotator cuff and cracked the bone in the socket, so it’s very different. Now, it’s just truly about pain tolerance management, being able to move around and being able to throw and go from there.”
Tampa Bay faces off against the Arizona Cardinals with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on Fox.
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