The San Francisco 49ers may not be the most banged-up team when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.
While the 49ers' practice attendance report contains a slew of names, Tampa Bay's is also crowded and also includes star wide receiver Mike Evans. Their other star WR, Chris Godwin, is already on IR for the season with an ankle injury.
Most notable in Tampa Bay's participation reports on Wednesday and Thursday was the addition of quarterback Baker Mayfield. He is dealing with a toe injury that kept him out of both of the Buccaneers' practices earlier in the week.
Mayfield told Bucs reporters in a press conference on Wednesday that he was “a little sore,” but also noted that he was expected to play on Sunday.
If Mayfield is unable to leave, the Buccaneers would turn to third-year signal-caller Kyle Trask for his first career start.
Trask was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round out of Florida in the 2018 draft. In three seasons, he has played in four games and thrown just 10 passes. He is 3 of 10 for 22 yards. His only snaps this season came in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, when he took the two squats to complete the Buccaneers' 37-20 win.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would certainly like to avoid Mayfield, he said He had no desire to compete in the NFC championship game Last season. Mayfield is even better this year than he was a season ago. He leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes, completing 71.4 percent of his throws and averaging 7.6 yards per attempt, a career-best.
Sunday's game is one the 49ers desperately need. It will be an even bigger imperative to win when they face a starting quarterback for the first time.
