The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are resting up during their bye week. At the same time, Baker Mayfield is dealing with a new injury, and it apparently has his status for the Week 11 matchup against the Detroit Lions in jeopardy.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Mayfield suffered a lower leg injury in the foot and ankle area against the Chicago Bears during the team’s Week 9 loss. This is the second injury the Buccaneers quarterback has dealt with over the first 10 weeks of the season. The first was the dislocated thumb he suffered in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings.

It sounds like the injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Mayfield was sacked by Grady Jarrett and Jeffery Simmons. It was an awkward looking play and Mayfield remained on the ground for a few extra seconds before getting up. He later ran in the two-point conversion that tied the game at 24, however, so it’s not 100% clear.

The timing isn’t great, either. Tampa Bay has a chance to regroup during the bye, but the foot and ankle injury hangs over the entire week of preparation for Detroit.

Baker Mayfield’s injury adds to a rough year for the Buccaneers QB

This injury adds to a growing list of struggles for Mayfield. Not only has he been unable to stay healthy, but his performance has been awful.

Mayfield has more interceptions than touchdown passes, and he is the “architect” behind the league’s worst passing attack. The Buccaneers sit dead last in passing yards per game and touchdown passes thrown.

That’s not where anyone expected this offense to be at this point in the season. The passing game was supposed to be a strength for Tampa Bay, not the biggest problem on the roster. Instead, the Bucs have struggled to move the ball through the air on a consistent basis, and Mayfield’s play is a big reason why.

Now, the injuries are piling on top of the poor production. It’s hard enough to fix a struggling passing attack when your quarterback is healthy. It’s even harder when he’s banged up for the second time in a matter of weeks.

What happens if Mayfield can’t go against the Lions?

With that being said, it’s still a big loss if Mayfield doesn’t play in Week 11. We’ve seen him tough it out before, so he should be on the field if it’s more of a pain tolerance issue, than anything.

Regardless, Jalon Daniels would be the next man up, and while he hasn’t been bad, he still hasn’t been great. Asking him to step in and lead an offense that already ranks last in the NFL through the air is a tall order. It would be an even taller order against a team like the Lions.

Detroit’s defense has its own flaws, but it can certainly make life tough for opposing offenses if the chips fall correctly. A struggling passing attack going up against a defense capable of getting hot is not a recipe for success, no matter who lines up under center.

That’s the short-term concern. The bigger picture, however, is what this means for the Buccaneers offense as a whole.

If Mayfield misses time, it once again sets the Buccaneers passing attack back. Any rhythm or continuity the offense could build during the bye week goes out the window if the starting quarterback isn’t on the field. Plus, every week spent without Mayfield is another week the unit can’t work through its issues with the guy it was built around.

The passing attack has been awful, as mentioned, and it won’t get any better if Mayfield cannot go against the Lions. Now it’s about how quickly he can get healthy, and whether Tampa Bay can find answers through the air whether he plays or not.