The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 0-3 nightmare start got significantly worse in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Facing a fourth-and-13 with under two minutes remaining, Baker Mayfield tried to buy time and escape pressure before firing a pass that was intercepted by Andrew Van Ginkel. As he threw, his right hand collided violently with a Vikings defender, and Mayfield immediately crumpled to the turf screaming in pain.
Baker Mayfield #buccaneers
Throwing hand thumb gets smacked and bent backwards. In a lot of pain. Concern for fracture or ligament (Thumb UCL) injury pic.twitter.com/EQ28Fy8vvE
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) September 27, 2026
He was helped off the field and taken straight to the medical tent before heading to the locker room. Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed afterward that Mayfield dislocated his right thumb on his throwing hand, and though X-rays showed no fracture, an MRI on Monday will determine how long he's sidelined. With undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels the only other quarterback on the active roster, Tampa Bay's front office suddenly has a glaring problem it can't ignore. Here are three trade targets general manager Jason Licht should be calling about immediately.
Pry J.J. McCarthy Away From Minnesota
There's a strange irony in the idea of the Buccaneers going after the very quarterback room they just beat, but J.J. McCarthy makes sense on paper. Minnesota named Kyler Murray the starter over McCarthy in August, and the former first-round pick has since been leapfrogged by veteran Carson Wentz on the depth chart.
McCarthy is buried as the emergency third quarterback in Minnesota, and with the Vikings fully committed to Murray, the 2024 first-rounder's path to snaps there is essentially closed. Tampa Bay could offer a Day 3 pick swap for a player who still has real starting-caliber tools, giving the Bucs a developmental option who could take over sooner than expected if Mayfield's thumb injury lingers.
Call the Rams About Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo has made a career out of stepping in for banged-up starters and not losing games he shouldn't. Currently stashed as a backup in Los Angeles, Garoppolo carries a career passer rating near 98 and a 43-21 record as a starter, numbers that dwarf what Tampa Bay can expect from an undrafted rookie thrust into the fire. The Rams have shown little urgency to trade him, and a modest Day 3 pick would likely be enough to pry him loose.
For a Buccaneers team desperate to avoid an 0-4 hole, Garoppolo offers a plug-and-play veteran who can run Liam Coen's system, protect the football, and keep Tampa Bay's playoff hopes breathing until Mayfield returns.
Explore a Blockbuster Trade For Mac Jones
This is the boldest swing on the list, but Mac Jones has quietly rebuilt his stock as Brock Purdy's primary backup in San Francisco. Jones is under contract through 2027, which makes any deal costly, yet the 49ers have already fielded trade calls for him this year.
If Tampa Bay's front office believes Mayfield's thumb injury could sideline him for multiple weeks, offering a mid-round pick for Jones gives the Bucs a former first-round passer with starting experience and functional accuracy who's shown he can operate an efficient, quick-rhythm passing attack, exactly what Tampa Bay's offense needs while its franchise quarterback heals.
With the season already teetering at 0-3, Tampa Bay can't afford to sit still. Whichever direction Licht chooses, doing nothing and riding out Jalon Daniels as the lone option isn't a viable plan for a team trying to save its season.