What happened: Baker Mayfield is listed questionable with a right thumb injury that has cost him three games. He logged a full practice earlier this week and is expected back for Sunday's road game. The Buccaneers are 1-5 after a 26-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 18.

Why it matters: Per ESPN, Mayfield completed 343 of 543 passes for 3,693 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games for Tampa Bay in 2025, so the quarterback is not the issue. The issue is the standings. Climbing out of 1-5 leaves almost no room for losses the rest of the way, and one returning player cannot fix everything else that has gone wrong.