After a three-game absence, Baker Mayfield is ready to make his return for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

With the Bucs languishing in last place in the NFC South at 1-5, Tampa desperately needs its starting quarterback to have a chance at salvaging the season. 

The Bucs sit 2.5 games behind the Carolina Panthers, who happen to be their Week 7 opponent. If Tampa can get a victory in Charlotte, perhaps the season will once again have a heartbeat. 

Mayfield hasn’t played since suffering a dislocated thumb late in Tampa’s Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The three games he missed were the first of his time in Tampa. 

Mayfield’s replacement, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, did everything he could to keep the Bucs’ season alive until Mayfield returned. Daniels played a terrific game against the Dallas Cowboys to give Tampa its only win of the season. However, Daniels was shaky in the other two games, and his two fourth-quarter interceptions in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers helped the Bucs blow a 16-3 lead before falling 26-19 in overtime. 

Beating Pittsburgh would have given the Bucs a second straight victory and built on the hope and optimism that defeating the Cowboys brought. Instead, Tampa’s blown 13-point lead in the final 15 minutes was a devastating blow to the team’s chances of getting back into the division race. 

Now, Mayfield gets his chance to be the hero, as it will take a miraculous run from the Bucs to salvage the season. 

After two full practices to start the week, Mayfield is confident his injured thumb has healed enough, and he is ready to return. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Mayfield said he feels good and talked about how frustrating it was to miss games.

"I feel good. Yeah, I feel good. [I'm] just improving. It's been a process for me. I never really miss time because of injury so, not fun. You always want to be out there with your guys, but just doing the rehab process, doing as much as possible each and every day and trying to recover as quick as possible and take it one day at a time. It's been feeling slowly better and better, but that's the frustrating part. It just takes time for an injury like that."

Mayfield also revealed that his primary concern wasn't being able to grip the ball, but being able to receive the snap. However, he is now confident that it won't be an issue.

"I think I was more so concerned about the impact of getting the ball from under center with Graham [Barton] sending it back there. It feels fine gripping it, throwing it - it's just the impact stuff, that was really what my concern was, and it's felt great so far."

If the Bucs are to have any chance at saving their season, they not only need Mayfield to return, but need him to play much better than he did in the first three games.

In his three games, Mayfield has thrown only two touchdown passes and has committed five turnovers (two INTs, three fumbles). His 37.1 QBR ranks 32nd in the NFL.

That is not what the Bucs were counting on when they gave Mayfield a three-year, $165 million contract extension right before the season began.

Though the Bucs have not officially announced that Mayfield will start against the Panthers, all signs are pointing in that direction.

This Sunday's showdown against Carolina is an absolute "must-win" game for Tampa. The Bucs need their franchise QB to have a chance.