Baker Mayfield's nightmare start against the Los Angeles Rams went from bad to worse, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star being forced from the game with a shoulder injury
23:49 ET, 23 Nov 2025
Baker Mayfield's night was cut short after injuring his shoulder in Los Angeles
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Baker Mayfield's night was cut short after injuring his shoulder in Los Angeles(Image: Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield's disastrous performance against the Los Angeles Rams continued to spiral downward.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to Southern California riding a two-game skid, with Mayfield struggling badly in recent outings. Up against a formidable Los Angeles defense, the quarterback faced an uphill battle as he attempted to guide the Buccaneers back into the win column.
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But Sunday night offered no relief, as the Rams' defense relentlessly pressured him, resulting in a poor showing through three quarters. The 30-year-old's struggles come after his wife revealed their marriage was "failing" prior to announcing they are expecting a baby.
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During the opening half, Mayfield repeatedly found himself under siege, resulting in missed throws and multiple sacks. The constant punishment eventually caught up with him, as the quarterback sustained a left shoulder injury in the second quarter.
Nevertheless, he pushed through, though he closed out the first half by throwing an interception, sending Rams supporters into celebration. Following halftime, Mayfield was quickly benched for Teddy Bridgewater, concluding his evening as Tampa Bay trailed 31-7. Los Angeles eventually won the game, 34-7.
Baker Mayfield
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Mayfield's nightmare night against the Los Angeles Rams got even worse(Image: Peacock)
After the game, Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield will have an MRI on Monday.
During his time under center, Mayfield connected on nine of 19 passing attempts for 41 yards. The quarterback threw one touchdown and two interceptions before exiting the contest in the third quarter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Los Angeles Rams
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Mayfield had a forgettable night on the field before his injury(Image: Getty)
The situation worsened for the Buccaneers when Mayfield was seen on the sideline wearing a sling on his left arm. His choice to attempt a deep pass that led to an interception just before halftime clearly didn't help matters, according to observers.
"Can't put my finger on it but I don't think they needed a 70-yard heave down 31-7," one fan commented after seeing the injured Mayfield on the sideline. Another added, "I don't know who called that play. The right one would have been to kneel and go into halftime."
Tampa Bay now faces a challenging situation, particularly given their struggles over the past three weeks. Any team would find a losing streak difficult, but having their starting quarterback sidelined for an unknown period makes it even harder to accept.
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Prior to the matchup, Rams head coach Sean McVay discussed how Mayfield provides the same type of reliability to the squad that Matthew Stafford offers. "Obviously, I think when you look at it, you know, with the two quarterbacks, we feel so fortunate to have Matthew," McVay stated.
"Obviously, I know Tampa feels that way about Baker but you got two guys that elevate the people that they're around, instill a belief, which I think is some of the most powerful things that you can offer as a quarterback with the way that you lead and the way that you compete that's authentic to you and I think Baker's always done that throughout his career.
"Matthew's always done that but what he did was he was himself and I think when you look back on it, I don't know that many people are surprised but it's an incredible, it's an impressive feat that's a real testament to his, you know, competitiveness but also his mental capacity to be able to handle and absorb so much information in a short amount of time."