Sources: Mayfield out 3-6 weeks, depending on when QB can grip football

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles says Baker Mayfield will miss at least three weeks due to his dislocated right thumb, but that is the minimum. There is a flipside scenario as well. Sources told ESPN that Mayfield is dealing with a dislocated thumb that is expected to sideline the star quarterback anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on how quickly he is able to grip the football. At this point, it's hard to predict when that will be, but three weeks without Mayfield is the Bucs' best hope. Mayfield underwent an MRI on Monday that showed no additional damage -- to either the thumb ligament or tendon -- beyond the dislocation, according to sources. Bowles said at the time that the injury should not require surgery, but the two-time Pro Bowler did get stitches to close the wound from the dislocation. Those stitches are expected to be removed soon. The Buccaneers did not place Mayfield on injured reserve Saturday, and they do not think their quarterback will need to be added to IR, even if the injury does sideline him longer than four weeks, according to sources. For the time being, the Bucs are willing to gamble that Mayfield's absence is closer to three games rather than the five to six games that they privately have worried about. The organization also believes in Mayfield's replacement, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who will become the first rookie quarterback this season to start a game. None of the 10 rookie quarterbacks drafted this year -- Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Cole Payton, Taylen Green, Athan Kaliakmanis, Behren Morton, Garrett Nussmeier -- have started a game entering Week 4. After Daniels went undrafted, the Buccaneers signed him to a deal that included a $25,000 signing bonus and guaranteed his practice squad salary of $247,500. It's rare for teams to guarantee the full practice-squad salary, but the Buccaneers believed in Daniels, who spent six seasons at Kansas. Daniels won the training camp battle for the Bucs' backup quarterback job with Jake Browning, who joined Tampa Bay earlier this year on a deal that included $400,000 guaranteed. Now Daniels will become the Buccaneers' starter, and Easton Stick will be his backup Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers also signed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien to their practice squad this week, but Daniels gets the first of what figures to be at least three starts, and quite possibly more. After their home game Sunday against the Packers, the Buccaneers (0-3) visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night in Week 5, before hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. Tampa Bay then visits the division rival Carolina Panthers in Week 7 before returning home in Week 8 for another NFC South matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. Bowles said the Bucs expect Daniels to "do his job and do it at a high level that he expects from himself," adding that the rookie is "not gonna be out there by himself, there will be 22 other guys out there helping him." Daniels will be the first Bucs rookie quarterback to start a game since former No. 1 draft pick Jameis Winston in 2015. He went 0-for-3 passing in four snaps last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.