
Buccaneers training camp Day 8 medical updates: Mayfield misses practice
The worst part of football, especially during training camp, is waiting for injury updates as they occur or as players attempt to return from injuries sustained the previous season.
In the case of the Bucs, they had to battle the injury bug more than they did any divisional opponent. It will make monitoring injuries throughout camp a big part of our coverage here on Bucs Wire over the next couple of weeks.
After day eight, several Bucs missed practice, most notably Baker Mayfield, but other big names as well.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox Sports
8 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Teddy Bridgewater Opens Up About Coaching Suspension, 'Excited' For Bucs Opportunity
National Football League Teddy Bridgewater Opens Up About Coaching Suspension, 'Excited' For Bucs Opportunity Published Aug. 6, 2025 5:12 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link TAMPA, Fla. — Teddy Bridgewater has been here before. In the pre-draft process in 2014, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought him in for an official visit, and he still remembers the restaurant they took him to and how he liked the idea of getting back to his home state after playing in college at Louisville. Alas, the Bucs picked at No. 38 and the Minnesota Vikings traded up to No. 32 to grab him, so it never happened. Then in 2020, when Bridgewater was a free agent, the prospect of him signing with the Bucs was close enough "I thought it was a lock," he remembers, but then Tom Brady entered the picture, signed and led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl championship. On Wednesday morning, the 32-year-old Bridgewater looked back on his first practice as a Bucs quarterback, smiling as he talked about how long it had been coming. "We've been flirting for years," he said. "I'm finally here. So I'm excited, man." Bridgewater's NFL career has come full circle as he enters his 12th season. He had a promising first two years with the Vikings, making the Pro Bowl and making the playoffs in his second year, only to have a torn ACL basically take away the next two years. He's bounced from the New York Jets to the New Orleans Saints to the Carolina Panthers to the Denver Broncos to the Miami Dolphins to the Detroit Lions. While Bridgewater hasn't started a game since 2022, he recently made headlines at his most recent stop. He dabbled in coaching at his high school alma mater, Miami's Northwestern High, but his tenure there came to a pause in July when he was suspended for allegedly giving impermissible benefits to his players. ADVERTISEMENT Bridgewater stood by his actions on Wednesday, saying he provided Uber rides home and meals to players because he was once in their shoes, at the same school in the same bad neighborhood, and wanted to protect them. "Everyone knows that I'm just a cheerful guy, a cheerful giver as well. I'm a protector. I'm a father first before anything," Bridgewater said. "When I decided to coach, those players became my sons and I wanted to make sure I just protect them in the best way I can. Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood, and sometimes things can happen when kids are walking home. "I just tried to protect them, give them a ride home instead of them having to take those dangerous walks," Bridgewater added. "I just want people to continue to see me for the person I've been from the time I arrived in the NFL, from the time I arrived at the University of Louisville, just a humble guy who has a big heart and a cheerful giver." Bridgewater, who will wear No. 16 for the Bucs, wants to keep close tabs on his players at Miami Northwestern, knowing the time commitment of being an NFL player will keep him away, but he'll try to get back when the schedule allows him, thanking them for inspiring him as a player and coach. "It's a great group of kids. They see so much hope when they look at me," he said. "I've always said it's food for my soul." As Bridgewater is looking to continue to serve as a leader for the high school kids he coaches, that leadership is just part of the reason why the Buccaneers recently brought him in. "He brings us a wealth of experience," coach Todd Bowles said on Wednesday. "We think we need some experience in that room. The more experience, the better. He can't do anything but help." The quarterback has personal connections all over his new team. When he was a freshman in high school, Bucs linebacker Lavonte David was a senior, so the two have been friends for half their lives. Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was a Dolphins assistant when Bridgewater played in Miami in 2022, and as he settled into his hotel room Tuesday night, a knock on the door yielded another familiar face: Bucs defensive line coach Charlie Strong, who was his head coach at Louisville. "Coach Strong was doing room checks last night in the hotel and he knocked on the door. I'm like 'Man, what the hell?'" Bridgewater said. "I said, 'Man, this feels like the University of Louisville all over again.' I thought I was an 18-year-old freshman again. We laughed and were like, 'We just rewound the clock.' It feels great, though." Teddy Bridgewater rejoined the Lions late in the 2024 season, opting to sign a deal after the high school team he coached season's ended. (Photo by) The Bucs have an entrenched starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield, coming off a 41-touchdown season, so Bridgewater's challenge will be trying to unseat fifth-year pro Kyle Trask as the top backup. Stuck behind Brady and Mayfield as two quarterbacks who never come off the field, Trask attempted only 11 passes in four years, so Bridgewater's game experience could be a plus. The third quarterback, Michael Pratt, has yet to practice this year due to a lower-back injury. Bridgewater's recent coaching experience could also give him an edge in the backup quarterback battle. As it turns out, coaching has made him a better quarterback, Bridgewater admitted. He'd never had to think about all 11 players on both sides of the ball, so he's more detailed in his preparation now. He understands what the offensive line is doing, blocking in front of him, and how the defensive front is trying to attack him. So he joins the Bucs as a player, but can help the team like another coach, reaching out even to young players at other positions. "Honestly, I'm just here right now to try to help this team in every way possible, whether it's in the quarterback room, the wide receiver room," Bridgewater said. "There's some young talent in that room and I'm excited to just share some of the wisdom I have, the experience I have from being in different offenses, different teams with guys who have had success at the receiver position. I'm just going to do whatever the role is for me, to try to be a humble servant like I've been doing." Whether Bridgewater sticks on the 53-man roster or on the practice squad or not at all, the Bucs are excited about how he can help their team, if not directly on the field, then indirectly in making those around him better. "Experienced guy, obviously very smart," Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. "Hell of a high school coach, hell of a coach in general. Just a good addition to have that wealth of experience there." Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share


New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Major Matthew Stafford injury development revealed as Rams QB's Week 1 status comes into focus
The injury holding Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford out has been revealed. The 37-year-old is dealing with an aggravated disc in his back and has received an epidural to help with the issue, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Rams reportedly believe that Stafford will be ready to go when Week 1 of the 2025 season rolls around in a month, with Los Angeles hosting the Texans. Advertisement 3 Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford. AP But how ready will he be is the real question. Stafford has not yet practiced with his offense during training camp as he has been sidelined with his injury. Advertisement Even if Stafford is healthy enough to play at home against the Texans on Sept. 7, Stafford might not be totally in sync, especially in a new-look offense that lost Cooper Kupp and added Davante Adams. Jimmy Garoppolo is Stafford's backup. 3 Matthew Stafford playing against the Jets in 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST The Rams could be reaching the end of their window to compete for another Super Bowl after Stafford led them to the Lombardi Trophy in 2022. Advertisement They came close to ousting the Eagles in snowy Philadelphia in the divisional round last season but fell short to the eventual Super Bowl champs. 3 Jimmy Garoppolo at training camp. AP There was some questions regarding whether Stafford would return to the Rams as he sought a new deal, and there was a brief flirtation with the Giants, but the two sides struck a deal that will pay him $44 million this season, and another $40 million if he's on the roster next season. Stafford had a solid year in 2024, throwing for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Advertisement Adams arrives after his reunion with Aaron Rodgers on the Jets failed, while Kupp left to sign with the Seahawks.


USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
NFL analyst surprised by Kyren Williams contract with Rams
The Los Angeles Rams retained running back Kyren Williams on a new three-year, $33 million extension with $23 million in guaranteed money ahead of the 2025 season. The deal keeps Williams on the team for now and gives the offense a lot more stability, especially after L.A. also kept Matthew Stafford, Alaric Jackson and Tutu Atwell. Much has been said and written about running back contracts, but NBC Sports' Chris Simms was surprised by what the Rams and Williams agreed upon — because he thinks Williams deserves more. "I thought it would be more than 11 [million] a year," Simms said. "I mean, where we are in the current status right now, running backs and all that, we know Saquon's king, we get why Christian McCaffrey is right up there with him and Derrick Henry at 15 million ... I'm surprised it's not kind of up by that. I am a little surprised. I feel like it's a little low. But hey, I'm if Kyren Williams is happy, I'm happy. And good for him to get that payday and get a little security there. And hopefully, he can see another payday in a few years." Williams' new deal makes him the seventh-highest paid running back in the NFL by average annual salary, and this is after he put together consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams. However, Simms seems to think he should be closer to the fourth-highest paid — Jonathan Taylor — who makes $14 million a year with the Indianapolis Colts. Williams is a huge part of what makes the Rams' offense work and he'd be hard to replace on a down-by-down basis with another running back or either backup (Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter). This looks, then, more like a team-friendly deal that Williams wanted to get done more than making a statement about his value relative to the rest of the position. Now, he and the Rams can focus on football and working toward another Super Bowl — something he didn't get to experience after being drafted the year after L.A. took home the Lombardi Trophy.