TAMPA - Baker Mayfield is sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand after being knocked out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week Three game against Minnesota, leaving rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels to step in as the team released its Week Four depth chart.
Daniels, listed second on the depth chart behind Mayfield, played four snaps on the Buccaneers’ final drive after Mayfield’s exit and recorded a nine-yard rush, the longest run of the game for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers typically do not adjust the depth chart for an injured player unless he is placed on injured reserve.
Rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst emerged as an unlikely standout in the Minnesota game, logging 52 of a possible 65 offensive snaps - more than any other Buccaneers receiver - and scoring his first NFL touchdown on a 40-yard reception in the first quarter. Hurst’s elevated role came after Jalen McMillan left the game on the Buccaneers’ first drive with a knee injury. Hurst finished one snap ahead of Emeka Egbuka and nine more than Chris Godwin.
On the offensive line, the Buccaneers opened in a “13” package against Minnesota - one receiver and three tight ends - leading to the first starts of the season for both Payne Durham, who played 55% of the team’s offensive snaps, and Ko Kieft, who drew two total snaps. Rookie Bauer Sharp also saw three offensive snaps, and all four tight ends were used.
The defense absorbed its own injury disruptions. First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. sat out with a groin injury, prompting veteran outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad to start opposite Yaya Diaby and play 42 of 59 defensive snaps. Linebacker Josiah Trotter, the team’s leading tackler with 21 stops, also missed the game with a shoulder injury sustained in Week Two. Christian Rozeboom, seeing his first defensive action since joining the Buccaneers as a free agent in the offseason, finished with 30 snaps to SirVocea Dennis’s 19, with both linebackers recording three tackles. Defensive lineman Elijah Simmons earned nine snaps in his season debut and recorded two tackles, including one for a loss.
On special teams, running back Kenny Gainwell handled all six of the Buccaneers’ kickoff returns, gaining 160 yards with a long of 40. Tez Johnson handled punt return duties, taking three runbacks for 40 yards. The Buccaneers’ Week Four game will test a roster navigating multiple injuries at key positions heading into the heart of the regular season.