Getty Images Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
After the worst loss of his career, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield finds himself in a place he has never been before.
The embattled and injured QB spoke to media members on Wednesday, November 17 to detail his physical condition, which he said is at its most precarious since entering the NFL. Mayfield also talked about his playing status Sunday against the Detroit Lions, indicating he would likely be ready to go for the game despite being bruised and battered.
Jake Trotter, Browns reporter for ESPN, posted video of the quarterback’s comments via Twitter.
“This is probably the most beat up I’ve ever been in my career (as an ambulance whizzes by)…” Baker is battling knee and foot injuries on top of the torn labrum. Says he’s still planning to play Sunday vs. Detroit. #Browns
“‘This is probably the most beat up I’ve ever been in my career,’ (as an ambulance whizzes by)…” Trotter wrote online. “Baker is battling knee and foot injuries on top of the torn labrum. Says he’s still planning to play Sunday vs. Detroit.”
Browns Wide Receivers Growing Frustrated With Mayfield
Getty ImagesJarvis Landry, of the Cleveland Browns.
Even hurt, Mayfield still offers the Browns their best chance at success against the Lions and beyond. But that doesn’t mean his wide receiver group is thrilled about the prospect of catching passes from a QB who has been up and down all season.
Most recently, Mayfield went 11-for-21 for just 73 yards, along with 1 TD and 1 INT in an embarrassing 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 14. Two days later, wideout Jarvis Landry spoke to reporters about the QB’s struggles, as well as Landry’s own frustrations, during the wide receiver’s Thanksgiving Food Drive.
Mary Kay Cabot, of Cleveland.com, tweeted video of the interaction on Tuesday, November 16.
#Browns Jarvis Landry doesn’t know why he’s not getting the ball more
“Yeah. I mean, I haven’t been getting the ball so much, either,” Landry said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve been able to do with the opportunities I’m given. Yeah, I’m battling some things, but on Sunday, I always give everything that I have, and that won’t ever change.”
Landry has tallied 23 catches for a total of 219 yards this season in six games of action, having battled injury concerns of his own. He has not found the end zone in 2021.
Based on Cabot’s reporting, Landry is not the only Browns wide receiver who has taken issue with Mayfield’s sometimes inconsistent performance.
“Yeah, we’ve had gradual conversations with numerous guys,” Landry continued. “But at the end of the day, who we are is a collection of a lot of different things, players, coaches, the staff, just trying to make sure that we’re all on the same page and trying to move forward, win one game every week.”
Browns Encouraged to “Push” Mayfield With QB Signing
GettyFormer Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky.
If won’t be Mayfield slinging the football to Browns wideouts over the long-term, than it is about time for the team to start considering its next-best options.
Backup Cleveland QB Case Keenum is 1-0 in his one start for the Browns this season, a 17-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football back in October. While Denver is known for its defense, a 17-point effort is hardly going to inspire rah-rah chants from the Browns’ faithful to move on from a young, often times dynamic, signal caller in Mayfield to a quarterback without a stellar track record as a starter, despite several chances. The 33-year-old Keenum is 28-35 across 63 professional starts, per Pro Football Reference.
Another idea that has been floated is former Chicago Bears starter and current Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who could “push” Mayfield as a legitimate threat to take his job.
Very interesting thoughts from @JPeterlin & @DustinFox37 – What would u think of Mitch Trubisky as a guy to push Baker next year?
Selected No. 2 overall by the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft, Trubisky was a Pro-Bowler in 2018 and is equipped with both strong arm talent and the ability to make plays outside the pocket. Cleveland can release Keenum before the start of next season, which would open the door for a potential move toward Trubisky.
However, such discussion feels at least somewhat premature, as Mayfield is largely responsible for the Browns’ first playoff victory in more than 25 years after leading the team to an 11-5 record last season and helping to resurrect the franchise.
Mayfield is under contract with the Browns through the end of 2022, and the Browns will have to decide at some point between now and then whether they want to pay the QB big money to remain in Cleveland. Based on current contract trends at the position, largely considered the most valuable not just in football but all of sports, Mayfield will demand high-end compensation that is likely to hamper what the Browns can do around him for years to come.
A move toward Trubisky would be potential protection against losing Mayfield due to untenable contract demands or injury concerns moving forward.