Vikings
Baker Mayfield is listed with an illness on the Buccaneers' Week 3 injury report, and he has practiced in full on both days so far. He was a full participant on Wednesday, September 23, and again on Thursday, September 24 (Buccaneers.com), with the Minnesota Vikings due at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.
Key facts
- Baker Mayfield is listed with an illness on the Buccaneers' Week 3 injury report and was a full participant in practice on both Wednesday, September 23, and Thursday, September 24 (Buccaneers.com, September 24).
- The team has not said what the illness is; Mayfield's usual Wednesday press conference did not take place (Bucs Report, JoeBucsFan, September 23).
- FantasyPros reported on September 24 that Mayfield is on track to be good to go for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
- Since joining the Buccaneers in 2023, Mayfield has a 5.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the blitz, fourth among quarterbacks with at least 30 such attempts (Buccaneers.com, September 24).
- Buccaneers.com, citing Pro Football Focus, describes Minnesota as the league's most frequent blitzing defense.
- Kickoff at Raymond James Stadium is Sunday, September 27, at 4:05 PM ET, 22:05 CEST, on FOX.
What the team has said
The Buccaneers have not disclosed what the illness is, and we will not guess. What is on record is the timeline. Mayfield did not hold his scheduled press conference after Wednesday's practice, and shortly afterward it was reported that an undisclosed illness was the reason (Bucs Report, JoeBucsFan, September 23). JoeBucsFan added that the session was moved to Thursday.
On Thursday, FantasyPros reported that Mayfield kept practicing and is on track to be good to go for Sunday. The official injury report backs the practice part: full participation both days.
Day | Mayfield's status | Injury listed |
|---|---|---|
Wednesday, September 23 | Full | Illness |
Thursday, September 24 | Full | Illness |
Two other offensive names carried designations on the same report and were also full both days: wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) and cornerback Jacob Parrish (back), per the Buccaneers.com report.
Why the timing matters
This is not the week to lose a quarterback for practice time. Buccaneers.com, citing Pro Football Focus, describes Minnesota as the most frequent blitzing defense in the league. Against that kind of pressure, the work Mayfield puts in on identifying rushers and adjusting protections in the days before the game counts for a lot.
The numbers suggest he is comfortable with the assignment. Since joining Tampa Bay in 2023, Mayfield has a 5.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the blitz, fourth among quarterbacks with at least 30 attempts in that span. Buccaneers.com also lists him as one of four passers in that period with a 100-plus passer rating, 30-plus touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions against the blitz, alongside Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford.
For more on how the offense has performed this season, see our look at Mayfield's turnovers and accuracy after the extension and The Line for Week 3.
What comes next
The Friday injury report carries the official game designations, so Mayfield's status for Sunday becomes formal then. Tampa Bay is 0-2 after the 23-19 loss to Cleveland and is looking for its first win. Kickoff is Sunday, September 27, at 4:05 PM ET, 22:05 CEST, on FOX; how to watch from Europe has the details, and the depth chart shows who is around him.
A quarterback who can practice in full through an illness gives the coaching staff what it needs most in a blitz week: a full set of reps on the exact looks Minnesota will show. The rest of the answer arrives on Sunday.
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