It appears that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has avoided a serious injury.
Mayfield came down with a shoulder issue in the first half of the Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and did not return for the second half.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the initial belief is Mayfield has suffered an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and there is no fracture or structural damage.
Schefter adds that it's possible Mayfield will play in Week 13, but an MRI on his shoulder is still to come, so he isn't out of the woods yet.
"Pre MRI, the Buccaneers believe Baker Mayfield suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, per sources," Schefter reported. "There was no fracture and no structural damage. One source said the Buccaneers “are not ruling out” Mayfield for Sunday’s game vs. The Cardinals. But today’s MRI will tell more."
Mayfield briefly exited the game in the second quarter with his issue and then was in obvious pain after chucking a Hail Mary to close out the first half, which led to the Buccaneers turning to Teddy Bridgewater.
The Bucs are fortunate to have a good backup in Bridgewater, who can weather the storm for a game or two.
However, it goes without saying that Bridgewater is a downgrade from Mayfield, which is a problem considering how tight things are in the NFC South.
Going into their Week 12 game on Monday night, the Carolina Panthers are even with the Bucs and can jump them for first place with a win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Thankfully, the Bucs don't have a game on Thanksgiving and will play on Sunday, so it'll be a normal week that gives Mayfield more time to get right.
We'll know more about Mayfield's status on Wednesday, when the Bucs drop their first injury report of the week.
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