The Cleveland Browns have been injury central in the NFL for most of the season with quarterback Baker Mayfield getting a lot of the attention since his Week 2 injury. Originally reported as a partial tear of his labrum, Mayfield informed the media today that it was a complete tear of his left labrum.
After leaving his Week 6 press conference with his arm in a sling, Mayfield was unsure if he was able to practice on Tuesday or not. With a quick turnaround for their matchup with the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, Mayfield plans to start the game.
Interestingly, Mayfield noted that if he couldn’t go, he would make the decision. The former number one overall pick does not want to hurt the team with his performance. If he believes he is, Mayfield does not want to be on the field:
#Browns Baker Mayfield said if he was in a physical state where his injury was hurting the team he wouldn't play.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 19, 2021
The assumption in his statement is that he does not believe he is hurting the team. With the Browns keeping him on the field since the injury, and allowing him to go back in after getting hurt again in Week 6, they seem to believe that Mayfield, even injured, is the best option at quarterback for the team.
Prior to Mayfield’s press conference, Jeff Howe from The Athletic reported that the quarterback’s shoulder wasn’t worse after getting hit on Sunday:
Browns QB Baker Mayfield's torn labrum in his left shoulder is not any structurally worse after the hit Sunday, according to a source. He's hoping to play Thursday, but it'll be a matter of pain management, controlling inflammation and whether he can function enough in the game.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) October 19, 2021
We will keep you up to date on Mayfield’s status going into this important Week 7 matchup on Thursday Night Football.