The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently gearing up for an upcoming matchup at home against the Arizona Cardinals, looking to bounce back after dropping four out of their last five games. Making matters more concerning for the Buccaneers is that quarterback Baker Mayfield exited last Sunday's clash against the Los Angeles Rams with a shoulder injury in his non-throwing arm, and was unable to return, opening up the door for backup Teddy Bridgewater to finish out the game for Tampa Bay.
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers got a mixed bag of updates regarding both Mayfield and star running back Bucky Irving in advance of the Cardinals clash.
“Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield was listed as a non-participant in today’s practice due to his sprained AC joint while RB Bucky Irving was listed as a full participant,” reported ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on X, formerly Twitter.
The good news for the Buccaneers is that the Cardinals are not exactly a juggernaut of an opponent to have to face, so it's certainly possible that they would be able to pick up a win in that game, especially at home, even if Mayfield is unable to give it a go.
Still, the Buccaneers would like to have their quarterback and one-time MVP candidate back in the lineup as soon as possible as they look to retake control of the NFC South in the wake of the Carolina Panthers' recent loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Doing so will require beating teams like the Cardinals and other weaker opponents that Tampa Bay has coming up on its schedule after suffering through a gauntlet of difficult foes over the last month.
In any case, the Buccaneers and Cardinals are set to kick things off on Sunday at 1:00 pm ET from Tampa Bay.
