BEREA, Ohio – Baker Mayfield isn’t healthy enough to train yet, and he might not be close to playing either.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback did not practice Monday due to a shoulder injury and early signs suggest Mayfield will not play this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mayfield is struggling with a torn labrum and a fractured left shoulder. He didn’t play Thursday, when the Browns and backup quarterback Case Keenum defeated the Denver Broncos.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has provided no update on Mayfield’s state of health other than “feeling better.”
Stefanski declined to say whether the Browns considered Mayfield place on the injured list. If so, he would miss at least three games.
Stefanski has still not struck off Mayfield for the game against the Steelers (3-3), who are returning from a week off. He added that facing the strong Steelers defense was not going to impact his decision to return Mayfield to the game.
“We’re going to trust the medical staff,” Stefanski explained.
Last week, a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a fracture to Mayfield’s humerus – a long bone that connects the shoulder to the elbow.
The 26-year-old Mayfield once struggled with a tear in his labrum, which caused him severe pain and swelling and his arm had to be stabilized inside a sling. Mayfield will almost certainly have to go under the knife in the offseason.
Mayfield had insisted last week that he wouldn’t miss a game, but poor arm mobility convinced him to end his 53-start streak.
Stefanski wasn’t sure if he would find out before Wednesday’s practice whether Mayfield can return to the game.
“We’ll see,” he said. It’s hard to say how it’s going to play out. I don’t make predictions. There are a lot of things I want to have. We have to work through whatever is going on. “
Keenum, who hadn’t started a game since 2019, threw a touchdown pass and had an important first down in a 17-14 win for the Browns over the Broncos. He completed 21 of his 33 passes for overhead gains of 199 yards.
The Browns (4-3) are confident Keenum can guide them to victory until Mayfield is ready.
Mayfield wasn’t the only starter missing on Monday. Receiver Jarvis Landry, safety back John Johnson III, inserting back David Njoku, defensive tackle Malik Jackson and center JC Tretter were not on the field.
Stefanski said Johnson, Njoku and Jackson will return to training on Wednesday.
