Baker Mayfield slated to return and start against Panthers on Sunday

Full Thursday practice clears way back from thumb injury.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 45m1 min read

Baker Mayfield is slated to return and start against the Panthers Sunday per source. More on injuries around the NFL on Via @JamesPalmerTV on X

What happened: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback carries an official questionable designation for his right thumb after participating without limitations earlier this week. He missed the Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 18, when the Buccaneers started Daniels in his place.

Why it matters: Reinserting the veteran passer stabilizes a Tampa Bay offense looking to gain ground in the division race against Carolina. Across 17 games with the Buccaneers in 2025, Mayfield completed 343 of 543 passes for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, per ESPN (as of Sept. 29, 2026).

By the numbers: Carolina enters the matchup at 3-2 (No. 3 seed, W2 streak) after a 25-14 road victory at the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 18, while Tampa Bay sits at 1-5 (No. 16 seed, L1 streak) following a 26-19 loss to Pittsburgh on the same day.

What to watch: Tampa Bay will release its final inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's kickoff against the Panthers to make Mayfield's active status official.

Sources

@JamesPalmerTV 2026-10-23T04:42:12.155425+00:00

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