CLEVELAND (AP) – The Browns aren’t ready to part ways with Baker Mayfield just yet.
The quarterback’s uneven season wouldn’t cost him his starting job. Team manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday that the Browns “absolutely expect” Mayfield to return after an injury-plagued 2021 season.
Mayfield played much of the season with a labrum tear in his left shoulder, an injury that led to a setback for the Browns (8-9) that left them out of the playoffs. It will be operated on January 19.
Mayfield’s rocky season – and the team’s doubts about whether to extend him a long-term contract – fueled speculation that the Browns could take a different direction at quarterback.
That would still be possible. After all, in the unpredictable NFL things can change in the blink of an eye or with a phone call.
At the moment Berry temporarily has at the top of the table the quarterback, whose talent divides opinions.
“We absolutely hope that Baker is our incumbent and that he recovers,” Berry said in a call via Zoom. “We hope that Baker obviously recovers in the offseason before next season, that he does a good job in the spring and that with his coaches he will have the campaign that we know he is capable of going forward.”
Mayfield suffered his first injury in Week 2 when he attempted a takedown, and played much of the season with special protection, which prevented his shoulder from dislocating.
Berry reiterated that coach Kevin Stefanski agreed with the decision to continue to use Mayfield despite the injury, as he received medical clearance to do so and his performance in training was acceptable according to team criteria.
“We feel good with the information that was coming to us throughout the year,” he said. “The reality is that we all wish we had a better performance, that it would have led us to the playoffs this year.”
Mayfield finished 6-8 as a starter with 17 TD passes and 13 interceptions, including seven in the past three games. He finished among the worst in several categories, including completion percentage.
It’s not fair to put all the blame for Cleveland’s setback on Mayfield, but it does come bundled with the position he plays.
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Browns expect Mayfield to start in 2022 | AP News