Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been playing through several injuries. But at this point, it doesn’t sound like Cleveland is planning on letting him rest and heal anytime soon.
“We have to see how the next few days go,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said in his Monday press conference, via Zac Jackson of TheAthletic.com. “If he’s ready to go, yes he’ll start.”
Mayfield was ineffective on Sunday for a second poor game in a row. He finished 15-of-29 passing for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was inconsistent in hitting and missing receivers throughout the 13-10 victory over Detroit.
Stefanski had admitted that Mayfield isn’t 100 percent and is “definitely battling.”
“We’ll always defer to the medical staff,” Stefanski said. “He’s ready to play and help the team win.”
Still, there’s a possibility Mayfield could be out as the Browns take on the Ravens for Sunday Night Football in Week 12.
“If he’s limited and can’t play to his potential, those are things we’ll discuss,” Stefanski said. “He’s played pretty well at times the last few weeks. We’ll never do anything that’s not in the best interest of the team.”
The last time Mayfield really played well was in Week Nine when the Browns beat the Bengals in Cincinnati. He finished that game 14-of-21 passing for 218 yards with a pair of touchdowns as the Browns won 41-16.
Since then, Cleveland has scored only 20 points in its last two games. Mayfield had to exit the Week 10 loss to New England early due to injury after completing just 11-of-21 passes for 73 yards with a touchdown and a pick. But Mayfield was healthy enough to return to the game — he just didn’t given the lopsided score.
Mayfield did sit out Cleveland’s Week Seven win over the Broncos, in part because the game was on a Thursday.
In 10 games, Mayfield has completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,166 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.