Baker Mayfield will miss Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys because of a right thumb injury, leaving Jalon Daniels to make his second consecutive start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The quarterback switch is the most immediate change on the injury report and it comes with Tampa Bay already juggling a long list of absences for a nationally watched Week 5 matchup.
Daniels is the player now carrying the weight of the moment. He was set for another start after getting the nod once already, a sign that Tampa Bay’s quarterback plan has been forced to change again before the night even begins. The Buccaneers had 55 available players and still had to name seven inactives to get to the 48-man game-day limit, a reminder that this is not only about one quarterback but about a roster stretched by injuries at several spots.
The backdrop is even heavier because the Buccaneers have been dealing with more than Mayfield’s thumb. Antoine Winfield Jr. remains out after sustaining a rib fracture in Week Four against Green Bay and is expected to miss two to four weeks. SirVocea Dennis was inactive with ankle and foot injuries, and Benjamin Morrison was out with a quad injury. Rueben Bain Jr. and Ko Kieft were both back in action on Thursday night after missing time, and the Buccaneers elevated J.J. Roberts and Easton Stick from the practice squad before the game.
The Cowboys had injury issues of their own. Cobie Durant missed a second straight contest with a hamstring injury, DeMarvion Overshown and Drew Shelton were also out with hamstring injuries, and Joey Porter Jr. did not suit up because of an illness. That leaves both sides short-handed, but the clearest storyline remains the same: Tampa Bay has moved from Mayfield to Daniels again, and the change is being driven by a thumb injury that gives no immediate answer on how long the quarterback will be sidelined.
