Sore shoulder new normal for Mayfield; groin injury added
BEREA — Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been dealing with left shoulder injuries since Week 2, so that has become “kind of the new normal.”
Now he faces the challenge of improving his accuracy while compensating for a sore left heel and a groin injury suffered in Sunday’s 13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions.
On Wednesday, Mayfield’s bruised right knee, hurt on a hit by Matt Judon in a 45-7 loss at New England on Nov. 14, was removed from the injury report and the groin problem was added. Mayfield did not practice even though coach Kevin Stefanski expected him to about a half hour before.
Going into a game in Baltimore on Sunday, Mayfield acknowledged that his lower body plays an important part in his throwing motion.
“Yeah, especially for me, kind of an unorthodox throwing motion when it comes to my lower body, just how violent it is,” Mayfield said. “Your lower body is so important in your throwing motion regardless, so it’s been definitely a different issue to overcome.
“The shoulder stuff’s kind of the new normal, I’m not really worried about that anymore. Still trying to protect it as much as I can, but there’s plays to be made with my feet and that’s where I’ve been kind of frustrated.”
Mayfield explained that he’s been bothered by the heel for weeks, but it became more of a problem in a 41-16 victory at Cincinnati on Nov. 7.
He no longer sounded as if he’s bothered by the harness he’s wearing to keep the shoulder in place after suffering a torn labrum against the Houston Texans on Sept. 19 and fracturing the humerus in that shoulder Oct. 17 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mayfield has had a new injury crop up each of the past three weeks. In the past two games, he’s completed 26 of 50 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.
Mayfield was able to get outside the pocket against the Lions, rushing four times for 9 yards with a long gain of 7 yards, but was limping late in the third quarter.
Mayfield ranks 22nd in the league in passer rating (91.3) and 25th in completion percentage (64.0). Only three starting quarterbacks who have played at least 10 games — Daniel Jones (Giants), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Justin Fields (Bears) — have fewer than Mayfield’s 10 TD passes, and Fields and Lawrence are rookies.