Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield did not play the second half of Sunday night’s loss to the Rams with a left shoulder injury.
Head coach Todd Bowles had a minor update on Mayfield in his postgame press conference.
“Right now he has a shoulder sprain,” Bowles said. “He’ll get an MRI tomorrow.”
Mayfield initially was examined in the sideline medical tent after throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson in the second quarter. Mayfield had scrambled twice for first downs on that possession, taking some hard hits in the process. He did not miss a play before coming back into the game after Los Angeles scored a touchdown.
But on the last play of the half, Mayfield threw a Hail Mary that was intercepted by Emmanuel Forbes. Mayfield stayed on the ground after the throw, appearing to be in significant pain as he gingerly made his way to the locker room. Mayfield re-emerged from the locker room in street clothes and a sling on the sideline midway through the third quarter.
Bowles noted that Mayfield aggravated his initial injury on that last throw of the second period.
Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater came in and played the second half in relief of Mayfield. He threw his first regular-season passes since the 2022 season.
“He knows what to do,” Bowles said of Bridgewater. “Obviously, we’ve got to protect him a lot better. Not the ideal situation to be in when they’ve got a big lead and they’ve got their ears pinned back every play. But he performed well under pressure.”
The Rams registered four sacks with only six official QB hits, but it seemed like a lot more, as both Mayfield and Bridgewater were under constant, heavy pressure throughout the game. Mayfield finished his night 9-of-19 for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Bridgewater was 8-of-15 for 62 yards on Sunday night.
If Mayfield is sidelined for a while, Bowles feels comfortable with Bridgewater behind center.
“Well, Teddy will play if [Mayfield is] out for some time,” Bowles said. “Obviously, we’ll bring up Connor [Bazelak] from [the practice squad] and we’ll go from there.
“Very confident in what Teddy can do with a full week of practice, taking every snap and every play. We think he’ll be fine.”
