Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Reveals X-Ray Update After Suffering Brutal Hit Against Saints

The Buccaneers starting quarterback says he should be good to go next Sunday against the Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' final game poses an opportunity for them to secure a winning season and the top seed in the NFC South by way of a tiebreaker over the New Orleans Saints. There wouldn't be as much pressure if the Buccaneers took care of business last Sunday as they took a 23-13 loss to the Saints.

Now, the Buccaneers regular season finale gets that much more important. In the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers' loss on Sunday, starting quarterback Baker Mayfield took a big hit and dealt with an injury because of it. 

Mayfield explained his x-rays were negative and that he should be good to go by the regular season finale, though he's still sore and will get it looked at more.

Former Buccaneers' QB Tom Brady Reveals Past Plans to Unretire for 2023 NFL Season

"Ribs don't feel too great right now," Mayfield said. "But we'll do some more exams to see what's really bugging me, but don't have anything right now so it's just sore."

Missing Mayfield in the regular season finale would be a tough blow for the Buccaneers. He's been incredible given the contract he signed this offseason to be the successor of Tom Brady. 

"It was one of those late scramble plays that, last second, throwing the ball to Chris obviously, they're gonna take hits," Mayfield said. "It's a physical team. They played that way today. They hit us right in the mouth from the get-go."

On the season, Mayfield has thrown for 3,907 yards and 28 passing touchdowns with ten interceptions, leading the Buccaneers to an 8-8 record and in a position to make the postseason. In a position to play playoff football, the return on investment in Mayfield is likely greater than many fans would have thought when the move was made.

Still, even if he plays, if Mayfield's ribs are continuing to bother him, his game could be impacted by it. Playing a 2-14 Carolina Panthers team, though, should make things easier for Mayfield and the rest of the Buccaneers offense. 

The unique part of having Mayfield as a leader is the toughness he plays with, which is needed for his play style. He's a competitive player and does whatever is possible to ensure he's on the field come Sunday.

Buccaneers Legend Tom Brady Reveals NFL Team He'll Never Cheer For

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook