It was either the official end of the worst season of Baker Mayfield’s career, or the official start of the next chapter of his career.
Either way, it took place on Wednesday, in Los Angeles, where orthopedic surgeon Dr. Orr Limpisvasti repaired a torn labrum in Mayfield’s left shoulder, which was the most serious of a series of injuries the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft suffered during the Cleveland Browns’ disappointing 2021 season.
“Surgery went great,” Mayfield said in a video he posted on Twitter. “It was a complete success. . . checked that box off to get this fixed, and now it’s on the way to the road to recovery. This is one of those steps to get back to my true self.”
Mayfield’s 2021 self took a U-turn on September 19, when he attempted to make a tackle after throwing an interception against the Houston Texans. His left shoulder popped out, then back into the socket.
Then things went from bad to “bleep”.
In a game against the Cardinals on October 17, Mayfield was on the wrong end of a sack, one of 43 (fourth most in the league) he endured in 2021. The result was a fractured humerus bone in the same shoulder.
Mayfield sat out the next game, and played the remainder of the season wearing a large harness on his left shoulder. He did not play in the Browns’ last game of the season, against Cincinnati, after the team had been eliminated from playoff contention.
Mayfield’s statistics took as many hits as his body. His touchdown passes went from 26 last year to 17 this year and his interceptions soared from eight last year to 13 this year. His passer rating plummeted from 95.9 last year to 83.1 this year.
“This past year hasn’t been very easy,” Mayfield said in his video. “A lot of stuff has gone down. It wasn’t easy on me or my family.”
In his end-of-the-season session with reporters, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said he “fully expects” Mayfield to be the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2022.
For now, that’s exactly what Berry should say.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was likewise predictably laudatory. “I have seen Baker play at a very high level,” Stefanski said. “I am confident. . . he is going to work real hard this offseason to bounce back.”
Mayfield’s rehab is expected to take between four and six months. The Browns expect him to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.
Although Berry said he expects Mayfield to be Cleveland’s quarterback in 2022, the Browns undoubtedly will keep an eye on the quarterback market as the offseason unfolds.
The simple reality is that even a fully-healthy Mayfield, playing at his peak, is arguably just a tick or two above league average, especially as measured by the quarterbacks who have led their teams to the final eight of this year’s Super Bowl tournament.
Despite the impression left by their mediocre 8-9 record this season, the Browns are built to win now. The question going forward is can they get there with Mayfield as their quarterback?
Berry wouldn’t be doing his job if he failed to explore the quarterback market during the offseason. That’s not a knock on Mayfield. That’s a general manager trying to maximize the talent at as many positions as possible on his roster.
This appears to be a good time to be in the market for a quarterback, given the potentially uncertain status of such passers as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, David Carr, Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and others.
This, on the other hand, is apparently not a good time to be in the market for a plug-and-play college quarterback to be plucked from the draft, and given the keys to the car of a playoff-caliber team.
Or maybe Berry will roll the dice once more on Mayfield. His salary for 2022 is $18.8 million. He could then become a free agent, or the Browns could franchise him, or they could even conceivably use him as part of a trade package that would bring to Cleveland his successor.
“This is not the end of my story,” Mayfield said in his post-surgery video. “It’s just going to be one of those little things that I’ll look back and remember that it’s one of those challenges and adversity that I’m going to try and take advantage of and make me a better person.”
