Tampa Bay is 0-3 and now without its starting quarterback. Baker Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota and will miss at least three weeks. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will start Sunday when the Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium.
Here is the current quarterback picture, how the official depth chart compares with gameday reality, and what the latest roster moves mean.
Baker Mayfield Injury Update
Mayfield was hurt late in the fourth quarter of Tampa Bay’s 23-16 loss to the Vikings. An MRI showed a dislocation with no fracture and no ligament or tendon damage, which is the best-case outcome. Coach Todd Bowles said the absence is a minimum of three weeks and that Mayfield will not go on injured reserve for now.
That means Mayfield stays on the 53-man roster and remains listed as the starter on the team’s official Week 4 depth chart. The earliest realistic return window is around Week 7 at Carolina if rehab stays on track.
Official vs. Practical Buccaneers QB Depth Chart
The Buccaneers released their Week 4 depth chart with Mayfield still on top: Role Player Status Listed starter Baker Mayfield Out, thumb dislocation Listed backup Jalon Daniels Starting Week 4 Practice squad Easton Stick Expected to be elevated as gameday No. 2 Practice squad Brett Rypien Signed Sept. 29 for extra depth
Tampa Bay typically does not drop an injured starter from the published chart unless he is placed on IR. For Sunday, the working order is Daniels, then Stick, with Rypien as the emergency option.
Who Is Jalon Daniels?
Daniels went undrafted out of Kansas in 2026 and won the backup job in camp over more experienced options. He is a dual-threat quarterback who threw 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his later Kansas seasons and also ran effectively.
He entered the Vikings game after Mayfield went down and finished 0-for-3 with an interception plus a 9-yard scramble. Sunday will be his first NFL start — and one of the earliest starts ever for an undrafted rookie.
Why Tampa Bay Signed Brett Rypien
With only two quarterbacks on the 53 and Mayfield unavailable, the Buccaneers added veteran Brett Rypien to the practice squad. Rypien has bounced around the league (Broncos, Rams, Bengals and others) and is 2-2 as a career starter.
The relevant detail is scheme familiarity: he spent 2023 with the Rams when current Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was the quarterbacks coach. That gives Tampa Bay a veteran who can learn the offense quickly if Daniels struggles or gets hurt.
Easton Stick, already on the practice squad, is the more likely elevation for Week 4. Stick has previous starting experience with the Chargers.
Related Injury: Jalen McMillan to IR
The same week also cost Tampa Bay receiver Jalen McMillan. The team placed him on injured reserve with a PCL sprain, a minimum four-game absence and an early timeline of six to eight weeks. McMillan had already missed time with a knee issue in camp and played only a handful of snaps this season.
That leaves the passing game thinner for Daniels: Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Ted Hurst, Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson are the main remaining options.
What It Means for Week 4 vs. the Packers
Green Bay is 1-2 and visits Tampa on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. The Buccaneers have not started anyone other than Mayfield since Tom Brady in 2022. A rookie making his first start against a Packers defense is a steep assignment for an 0-3 team.
The next two games after Green Bay are at Dallas and vs. Pittsburgh — a difficult stretch before Mayfield’s possible return.
Outlook
Mayfield’s MRI news keeps the door open for a midseason return rather than a long IR stay. Until then, Tampa Bay is betting on a camp-winning undrafted rookie, a practice-squad veteran with Chargers starting reps, and a newly signed journeyman who already knows the coordinator.
The published depth chart still says Mayfield and Daniels. The real depth chart for the next three weeks is Daniels, Stick, and Rypien.