Buccaneers' Quarterback Baker Mayfield Suffers Ankle Injury in First Quarter vs. Colts

The loss of Baker Mayfield could be a significant hindrance to the Buccaneers' chances against the Colts.
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Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealing with a litany of injuries heading into this Week 12 contest vs. the Indianapolis Colts, most of those were on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, there would be no excuses for the Bucs to not bring their A-game. 

At least at the very beginning.

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Just five minutes into the game, the Buccaneers' found themselves deep in Colts' territory. From the 1-yard line, Baker Mayfield dove behind his center, Robert Hainsey, plunging his body into the heart of the pile in an effort to cross the goal line with a quarterback sneak. 

However, once the bodies cleared, Mayfield was left on the ground in obvious pain.

Based on the replay, Colts' 287-pound defensive tackle, DeForest Buckner, appeared to land on Mayfield's right ankle with all of his body weight when trying to prevent the touchdown. 

Baker is as tough as they come. But based on his reaction, this looked like an ankle injury that could potentially be significant.

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As it stands, Mayfield appears to be trying to walk it off on the Buccaneers' sideline. It has since been reported that Baker is planning on returning to this game. 

Should Mayfield be unable to stay in the game, backup quarterback, Kyle Trask, will lead the offense for the Bucs.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.