Buccaneers Get Good News on Baker Mayfield Ahead of Cardinals Game
Mike Ehrmann/Getty
TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Sunday just wasn’t the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ day. They got embarrassed on Sunday Night Football against the Rams, losing 34-7 in a game that wasn’t even that close — it was 31-7 at the half, and Los Angeles basically stopped trying to score at that point.
It was not a good day for Bucs QB Baker Mayfield. In one half of action, he completed 9 of 19 passes for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions (though one of those picks wasn’t his fault, as it got ripped away from the receiver). On a third-down scramble, Mayfield ran through a pair of Rams defenders for a first down. But his left shoulder was bothering him after that, and he was in considerable pain after heaving a hail mary to end the half.
In the second half, Mayfield came out of the locker room sporting a sling and wearing warmups. Questions swarmed surrounding his status moving forward, as Tampa Bay could hardly afford to lose their starting quarterback on top of all the other injuries they’ve sustained this season.
Ian Rapoport on Tampa Bay Buccaners QB Baker Mayfield’s Injury
Ronald Martinez/GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaves the field after his team was defeated by the Los Angeles Rams in the game at SoFi Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
“Good things are going on with Baker Mayfield,” said NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Wednesday morning, appearing on the Good Morning Football show. “When we last saw him, he was on the sideline in a sling — wearing sweatpants by the way, now that we’re on the topic — we wondered how long he’d be out with a left shoulder injury.”
“[He] had an MRI after the game, it was actually really good news. My understanding it that it was a low-grade sprain for Baker Mayfield, an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. And yes, he looks like he’s about to die on the field right there,” Rapoport continued, referencing a clip of Mayfield writhing in pain on the field that played as Rapoport spoke, “but he does in fact have a chance to play this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. That is excellent news. We saw [backup quarterback] Teddy Bridgewater, who we all love, come in and play. It did not go well. They need Baker Mayfield if the Bucs are going to get back on track, and he’s got a shot.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have a Manageable Closing Slate
The Buccaneers have lost three in a row after starting 6-2, but those three losses came against the Patriots, Bills, and Rams — teams that are a combined 26-8 on the season. Falling to 6-5 and being just a half-game up on the Panthers in the NFC South isn’t ideal, but the sky isn’t falling in Tampa Bay just yet.
Especially since the Bucs have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. Their final six opponents are the Cardinals, Saints, Falcons, Panthers, Dolphins, and Panthers. None of those teams are above .500 and the Panthers have the best record at 6-6.
Those two games against the Panthers will likely define the Buccaneers’ season. If they can get to 10 wins, they’ll be in good shape.
Texans Lock In Defensive Future: Anderson’s Extension and Hunter’s Arrival Signal Houston’s New Identity
The Houston Texans ensured they found a cornerstone for their defense two years ago in the 2023 draft, selecting Will Anderson Jr. No. 3 overall, one slot behind quarterback C.J. Stroud. He has rewarded their faith in him with his play, and the Texans plan to return the favor.
They have a solid track record of rewarding their own players.
Anderson would join bookend Danielle Hunter and fellow recent draft pick Derek Stingley Jr. as recently extended Texans.
Will Anderson Expected to Engage in Extension Talks With Texans
“Will Anderson is one of the biggest reasons for Houston’s defensive dominance,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on X on November 26. “I’m told to expect the third-year pass rusher and the Texans to make offseason extension talks a priority.”
Anderson was a Pro Bowler and the Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Texans in 2023.
He is already one half-sack away from matching his 2024 total of 11.0, which he reached in 14 games, with 10.5 sacks through 11 games this season.
Russini wrote in a roundup of league intel on Wednesday that Houston’s “defense might be the best in football right now, and a lot of that is thanks to Will Anderson Jr. Expect Houston and the third-year edge rusher to get right to a contract extension once the season wraps.”
Anderson ranks ninth in the NFL in sacks since entering the league.
That is despite playing opposite Hunter, who inked a one-year, $35 million extension in March and is a five-time Pro Bowler in his own right.
Will Anderson Could Draw Attention for Defensive Player of the Year
Russini pointed to an in-depth article from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, in which the latter highlighted Anderson’s impact on the Texans’ defense. Breer forecasted that Anderson could receive some award love.
He also believes an extension is an inevitability, saying he has a “hard time seeing why” the Texans would not get a deal done as soon as possible.
Breer cited Anderson’s talent as well as his personality.
“Will Anderson Jr. is more than just a Defensive Player of the Year candidate—he’ll be worth every penny the Texans pay on the megadeal he will have coming. And if Houston is as aggressive as it was in signing All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., who got his monster second contract as he became eligible for one after his third season, it’ll happen this offseason,” Breer wrote on November 25.
“He’s had a sack in six consecutive games, which tied a team record by Mario Williams, and he’s already fifth in Texans history in career sacks. On Thursday, he joined J.J. Watt as the only players in NFL history to have 2.5 sacks, two tackles for losses, three quarterback hits and a pass defensed in multiple games.”
Will Anderson Keying NFL’s Best Defense
Breer cited Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s praise for Anderson, noting the third-year pro is on track to become a new standard-bearer of work ethic.
“Anderson has been that tough, that hard-working and that plain old relentless,” Breer wrote on November 21. “As the pro football world saw Thursday night, the rest of the Texans defense that Burke and head coach DeMeco Ryans have built over the last three years has fully followed suit.”
All of that should keep Anderson with the Texans for many years to come.
