Cleveland Browns: 3 reasons why Baker Mayfield could struggle in 2020

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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 2: Center Austin Reiter #62 of the Cleveland Browns sits injured on the field against the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 2, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Injury Bug returns

The most obvious reason for all of this is the return of the Injury Bug. That little punk. The Browns have a few key positions that are worrisome due to their injuries. Some linemen have battled injuries their whole careers, while other players are at a position where injury rates are high. One bad step from Nick Chubb and a sprained ankle could keep him out eight games.

Heck, Mayfield’s been hit more times than a golf tee at a driving range, eventually, everyone’s body breaks down. Could his? Age is irrelevant in this regard, for we’ve seen young athletes plagued by injuries on all the time in sports.

More to the point, however, is the health of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. Now yes, Landry only ever really had one major injury, his hip, which was treated this offseason with surgery. He’s also never missed a single game, despite not starting all of the games he’s played in. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the five (if not the best) wide receiver in the league. That all said, hip injuries are not easy to come back from. They flare up, get reinjured, or end careers. Landry could take a hit and never be right again, or even play again. He could also play another 15 years without missing a single snap. The Injury Bug works in mysterious ways like that. We’re all optimistic that Landry will be healthy and that this hip injury isn’t anything like Bo Jackson’s or Tua Tagovailoa’s.

The real problem, however, is Beckham. Beckham, unlike Landry, already has a wide and deep history of injuries. Ones that may have sapped him of his elite talent already. After three straight subpar and injury-plagued years, Beckham is hoping for a major bounce back in 2020. Will his body let that dream become a reality? The odds aren’t in his favor.

There’s also the possibility that an injury to someone like Joel Bitonio or Austin Hooper could happen where one blows a knee or breaks a bone. The Injury Bug works in mysterious and evil ways.

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