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Baker Mayfield Out Week 18; Browns QB to Have Surgery on Injury as Soon as Possible
January 4, 2022
A disappointing season for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has officially come to an end.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Tuesday that Mayfield will have surgery as soon as possible and won't play in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mayfield told reporters after Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he was going to have surgery to repair the shoulder injury he suffered earlier in the season, but he didn't rule out waiting until after Week 18 to do so.
"I'm an extremely competitive guy," Mayfield said. "Now it's time for me to start looking at what's in the best interest of me and my health."
ESPN's Jake Trotter reported on Oct. 7 that Mayfield suffered a partially torn labrum while trying to make a tackle in Cleveland's Week 2 win over the Houston Texans.
Mayfield told Fox Sports (h/t Trotter) on Oct. 21 he also suffered a tuberosity fracture in the same shoulder in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.
After a promising 3-1 start this season, the Browns have lost eight of their past 12 games. Mayfield completed 55.9 percent of his attempts for 1,536 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his past eight games played.
In Monday's loss to the Steelers, Mayfield completed just 16 of 38 attempts for 185 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He had nine straight incompletions at one point, the longest streak by a quarterback in a game this season.
Mayfield led Cleveland to its first playoff win since 1994 with a 48-37 victory over the Steelers last season. He has a 29-30 overall record in 59 games as a starting quarterback since being drafted No. 1 by the Browns in 2018.
In April, the Browns picked up Mayfield's fifth-year option worth $18.858 million for 2022.