For Bucky Irving, it’s an apparent welcome back. For Baker Mayfield, it’s wait and see.
Those were the two converging story lines Wednesday at One Buc Place a day before Thanksgiving. And the Tampa Bay Bucs are certainly thankful about both developments – especially that Mayfield's shoulder injury sustained last Sunday against the Rams was not worse.
An MRI on Monday revealed no structural damage to his left shoulder joint, and he has not been ruled out in a must-win home game Sunday against the 3-8 Arizona Cardinals. A decision will likely be made Friday based on team doctor recommendations and Mayfield’s input regarding his level of pain.
And while head coach Todd Bowles underscored that he still wants to see Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin “trending forward” in practice Thursday and Friday, all signs point to Irving’s return as expected.
Facing a battery of microphones and cameras, Irving confidently proclaimed himself ready for action for the first time in seven games due to a shoulder and foot injury.
“I’m ready to be here and play for my team,” he said to a crowd of reporters.
That’s encouraging news for the Bucs, who can ill afford another setback after losing three straight games to top-tier competition – the Patriots, Bills and Rams – and four of their last five contests. In so doing, they have fallen from a commanding lead in the NFC South to a slim edge at 6-5 over the 6-6 Carolina Panthers.
Sean Tucker and Rachaad White have played well in Irving’s absence – most notably Tucker’s three-touchdown, 106-yard game two weeks ago – but the rushing attack has missed the breakaway threat that Irving adds.
The second-year Buc credited his deep religious faith and the support of coaches, teammates and staff for helping him get through the prolonged, difficult stretch due primarily to his shoulder injury.
“Where I’m from, a lot of people don’t really get this opportunity to be where I’m at – even get to talk to you guys,” he said. “To go through what I went through, just being able to be back up here and around my guys is exciting.”
Speculation spread online last week that Irving was having a particularly hard time being away from the field, since it was the first time in his career he’d dealt with a serious injury.
“It’s tough, man, the first time being hurt,” he said. “When I step on that field, like I always said, I don’t take this game for granted. I love what I do every day. I love my teammates. And when I go out there, I (want to) show them that each and every time I get the ball, I’m trying to make plays and make things happen for the organization and this team.”
Who, in particular, helped him?
“This whole organization,” he said. “I can’t name everybody from this person to (that) person, but the people with me every step of the way know who they are. And I want to give them big praise and a shout-out to them for helping me through the process.”
Irving heaped praise on Tucker and White for their efforts while he was out. They played especially well even in the 28-23 loss to New England and the 44-32 setback to Buffalo, before the entire offense fell silent last Sunday in the 34-7 rout by the Rams.
“I told you all – everyone in that room is a great back,” he said. “I don’t look at it as I’m the starter, Rachaad is the starter (or) Sean Tucker is the starter. We play for one another. And I’m trying to bring that to this room and show that whoever’s in the game could be the lead back.”
If Irving plays as expected, Bowles acknowledged the playmaking tailback would be on a “pitch count” – similar to how Godwin was allowed to see only a set amount of action in his return from a fibula injury last Sunday in Los Angeles.
“It’ll be similar ... and kind of see how he goes and which back does what,” Bowles said.
Mayfield, on the other hand, is a less clearcut situation. Journeyman backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is getting practice time with the first team this week, just in case he’s called upon to start.
“Obviously, Baker is sore, so Teddy’s going to take most of the reps this week, and we’ll see how (Mayfield) feels at the end of the week,” Bowles explained. “He studies a lot, so if he feels good he can go; if he’s not, Teddy’s going to take it.”
Bowles is well aware of Mayfield’s toughness and desire to play if there’s any way possible, but he’s not worried about making the decision.
“You always lean on the medical staff but you have to listen to the player, too,” he said. “Obviously, a lot of guys play hurt – if it’s something he can manage and something he feels comfortable playing with. He’s not going to put himself in danger, and neither are we. So if he feels comfortable with it, and he feels like he can go, we’ll see if he can go.”
Mayfield reiterated Bowles’ assessment in his media briefing, revealing that the pain is still there but decreasing “for sure.”
“It’s pain tolerance (and) management definitely,” he said. “(We’ll) see how it goes through the week and from there. But understanding that we have Teddy – and I’ve been in this spot before (with) the non-throwing shoulder – if it’s going to hinder how I play, then I won’t go,” he said. “But (I) won’t know that until later in the week, getting practice reps and (seeing) how that goes.”
Mayfield says the injury is not the same as the more serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder sustained in 2021 with the Cleveland Browns. “I don’t think I was physically able to do the things I wanted to,” he said. “… That’s the biggest thing. I don’t want to hold this team back. Obviously, each game here on out is extremely important. But Teddy is more than capable of handling this on his own. So it’s managing that understanding where I’m at physically and (going) from there.”
The good news, he emphasized, was that the MRI showed no damage and that everything was intact structurally.
“That’s really good news,” he said. “So it’s really about feeling good enough to be able to rip the ball, feeling confident to finish through throws and stay on top of the ball.”
Meanwhile, Mayfield expressed full confidence in Bridgewater should he be the starter.
“When it comes down to a guy like Teddy who’s seen a lot of defense, played a lot of ball, it’s not like you’re going to overwhelm him with some of the blitz packages and different looks,” he said. “”So I think that’s the biggest difference. He’s not getting in there with wide eyes. He’s seen different looks and defenses before that. He’s able to handle and execute at the right time. So, yeah, we’ll have confidence no matter what the situation is and definitely confident with Teddy in there.”