Browns QB Baker Mayfield to have shoulder surgery, miss season finale
The Cleveland Browns were eliminated from playoff contention even before Monday's prime-time 26-14 loss at the rival Pittsburgh Steelers that dropped Cleveland to 7-9 ahead of the regular-season finale versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been carrying a significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder since Week 2, and head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed with media members on Tuesday that Mayfield won't play against the Bengals and, instead, will undergo surgery "as soon as possible" to repair his shoulder.
Mayfield aggravated the left-shoulder issue during a Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and missed the victory over the Denver Broncos the subsequent Thursday night with what was reported to be a torn labrum and fractured bone at the top of the humerus. However, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft returned to the lineup wearing a shoulder harness that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt admitted Friday "hindered" the signal-caller.
Mayfield largely appeared overwhelmed under center against Pittsburgh and took nine sacks in what will be his last defeat as a starter this season. He suggested shortly after that loss that he could shut things down through Week 18.
Mayfield is set to return to the Cleveland lineup for the 2022 campaign via the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract. While discussions about his future have already begun on local and national sports talk shows, his immediate goal should be to get back to 100 percent health, something he hasn't been since the final days of this past summer.
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