The Bucs will return to action in Week 11 next Sunday to face the Lions on the road. Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s status for that contest is officially in question.

According to ESPN’s Mike Garafolo, Mayfield suffered an injury to his foot and ankle area in last Sunday’s Week 10 defeat to the Bears. Mayfield has reportedly been “in and out of a walking boot” this week as he’s rehabbed the injury. The injury is not considered long-term and there is no consideration to placing Mayfield on injured reserve, per Garafolo.

Mayfield appeared to be in obvious discomfort during the 27-24 loss in Chicago, seen slowly getting up after taking some big hits. At one point in the fourth quarter, Bears defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons and Grady Jarrett combined to sack Mayfield, who remained on the ground afterwards before eventually rising to his feet. Mayfield gutted it out and ran in a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 24-24 with just under three minutes remaining before Cairo Santos would convert a 38-yard field goal as time expired to win the game for the Bears.

Bears DE Austin Booker and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fortunately for Mayfield and the Bucs, the bye week arrived at a perfect time for him to gain some additional rest before traveling to Detroit. If Mayfield is to miss the NFC clash, it’ll be his fourth missed game of the 2026 season.

The 31-year-old previously missed three consecutive games (Weeks 4-6) after dislocating his right thumb near the end of the Week 3 loss to the Vikings. Undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels took the reins under center while Mayfield was sidelined. The Bucs went 1-2 under Daniels, who threw three touchdowns and four interceptions in his starts.

Baker Mayfield Has A History Of Pushing Through Injury

Mayfield made it back for the Week 7 road tilt against the Panthers, a 43-13 win where Mayfield attempted just 11 passes and threw for 57 yards. A week later back home against the Falcons, Mayfield completed zero passes as the Bucs recorded a 16-0 shutout of their divisional rival. Mayfield did throw 32 times against the Bears, though the end product left plenty to be desired. He completed 18-of-32 passes for 243 yards, to go along with two interceptions.

Mayfield and the passing game’s struggles are well-documented; the Bucs are 4-11 in his last 15 starts dating back to Week 10 of last season. The $165 million signal-caller has a stat line of three passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 60.6% passing, and a 31.7 QBR – 30th among 31 qualified quarterbacks. Tampa Bay’s offense is 29th in total EPA this season.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Head coach Todd Bowles will likely provide an initial update on Mayfield’s status when he speaks to the media in the coming week. Mayfield has been known to play through injury in the past — as recent as 2025 — when he was listed on the injury report for 10-of-18 weeks with eight different injuries specified. Mayfield, however, did not miss any time.

The Week 11 matchup will be a challenging one for the 3-6 Bucs. Detroit is 7-2, coming off a 35-10 victory over the Patriots in Germany on Sunday. The Lions defeated the Bucs, 24-9, in Week 7 last season.