You can call Baker Mayfield a lot of things, but you can never call him a quitter. Last week against the Los Angeles Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback suffered a nasty-looking shoulder injury. Mayfield was ruled out for the game, and he wore a cast on his arm while on the sidelines. It was just the latest blow to the Buccaneers' recent tumble down the standings.
Well, barely a week after the injury, and Mayfield is raring to go back in for the Buccaneers. Dianna Russini reported that the gritty quarterback is trying his best to come back for their Week 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals. If this story doesn't embody who Baker Mayfield is as a football player, then we don't know what does.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield has a low-grade left shoulder strain and is trying to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals,” Russini wrote for The Athletic.
Mayfield suffered a sprained left AC joint against the Rams on Sunday. After spraining the joint on a throw, the Buccaneers quarterback writhed in pain on the field. Mayfield was eventually ruled out for the game, though he continued to watch the game from the sidelines. That being said, Mayfield was never officially ruled out for Week 13 despite the apparent severity of the injury.
Mayfield's toughness has always been a core trait of his. That being said, this grit has also cost the Buccaneers quarterback during his career. It was reported that towards the end of his time in Cleveland, Mayfield played through a torn labrum. That injury severely limited his throwing ability, causing him to play worse. The Buccaneers do appreciate Mayfield's dedication, but it's also fair to wonder if Tampa Bay should protect their quarterback from himself.
Should Mayfield end up missing the Cardinals game, Teddy Bridgewater will be the starter. The Buccaneers are in dire straits, as the magical start to their season has ended and they now sit at a 6-5 record.
