Injured ribs forced Baker Mayfield to miss practice time, but they won’t hold him out of a second chance to win the NFC South.
Mayfield will start the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 18 tilt against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters. Mayfield is officially questionable on Friday’s injury report.
The Bucs had a shot at clinching the club’s third straight division title in Week 17 against the New Orleans Saints, but lost, while Mayfield was dinged up in the process.
He will fight through the pain, just as he did earlier in the season when he had ankle and knee injuries.
Mayfield has already set new personal records in his 16 games, throwing for 3,907 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also has the opportunity to surpass the 4,000-yard and 30-TD marks for the first time.
The 2018 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, who recently signed a one-year deal with the club, will aim to extend his initial Bucs campaign this Sunday by steering Tampa back into the playoffs.
The Buccaneers (8-8) are set to kick off against the Panthers (2-14), who are hosting the game, at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
