Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will play the remainder of the season with a torn labrum injury on his left shoulder, or non-throwing shoulder.
Mayfield initially suffered a minor shoulder dislocation in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, but the trainer popped the partially separated shoulder back into the socket, and Mayfield returned to the game.
An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum on his left shoulder, which is a painful injury, but he can gut it out since it’s his non-throwing shoulder. He wears a harness underneath his pads, but it does not alter his throwing motion.
Mayfield had an unimpressive start to the season, and that was even before the shoulder injury. He has a cringe-worthy 39.8 quarterback rating, which is ranked #26 in the league. He completed 65.5% of his passes for 935 yards, but only two touchdown passes. He added a single rushing touchdown on just 15 carries, but his overall scoring output is a worrisome, especially for fantasy owners.
Rough Week 4 for Mayfield
Last week wasn’t pretty in the Browns 14-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield posted one of his worst performances of his career with a 15-for-33 effort for just 155 yards. He was shutout in the touchdown department once again.
“I really do not think it’s that complicated,” said Mayfield. “Everybody is going to try and make an excuse. I pretty much hit on it after the game, I just have to make the damn play. It’s that simple.”
“I see Baker throwing it accurately in practice so I don’t attribute any of that to the injury as much as just having an off day,” said Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “The game was not up to his standards, and that happens in the NFL. I’ve seen some great quarterbacks have a rough day.”
Mayfield and the Browns head to Hollywood to play the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend in a battle of 3-1 teams. The Browns are a +2.5 underdog.
Mayfield has a bone to pick with Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Last season, Herbert broke Mayfield’s record (19 touchdowns) for most passing touchdowns by a rookie and set a new record with 21 touchdowns.
In case of an emergency, Case Keenum is the current backup quarterback for the Browns.
The Browns are +1400 odds to win Super Bowl 56. In divisional betting, the Browns are the second favorite on the futures board to win the AFC North at +120 odds. They trail the Baltimore Ravens, who are even money at +100 odds to win the division.
The Mayfield shoulder injury did not affect DraftKings win totals, and the Browns are -175 favorites to win over 10.5 games this season, or +135 odds to win 10 or few games.
