Much has been made of Baker Mayfield and his lack of an extension. Fuel has been added to that fire recently as the Browns have gone 2-5 in Mayfield’s last seven starts and Cleveland has been limited to only 30 points over their last three games. Mayfield has thrown three touchdowns vs. three interceptions over that span. However, Browns general manager Andrew Berry provided the former first-overall pick with a vote of confidence Wednesday, and he said the signal caller’s various injuries shouldn’t impact the team’s ability to win games.
“Baker’s our quarterback,” Berry said (via ESPN’s Jake Trotter). “He’s healthy enough to win games for us. If he’s ready to go, he’s going to be our starter.”
While Berry refused to speak specifically about Mayfield’s potential extension, he did acknowledge that the team would consider the player’s entire body of work vs. his recent struggles.
“With Baker, from a long-term perspective, you try to take a big picture,” Berry said. “With any player, it’s about the body of work over several years. We’ve seen Baker play good football here and play good football this season…There will be plenty of time to think about how we’re going to build the roster next year. Right now, we’re focused on doing everything in our power to maximize this current season.”
Mayfield’s shoulder issue did require one missed game, a narrow Week 7 win over the Broncos, but he has otherwise played through that injury — an ailment that will almost certainly require offseason surgery. The QB also exited the Browns’ Week 10 loss to the Patriots with a knee injury, but that hasn’t forced him to miss any games. Mayfield has refused to use the knee injury as an excuse for his recent play.
“We all know Baker is incredibly physically tough,” Berry said. “He’s had stretches where he has played well.”
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