Browns: The Steelers game will determine what Baker Mayfield could be in 2021

Baker Mayfield may start Sunday but should he?

Baker Mayfield has practiced for the second straight day on Thursday, and that has got many people expecting him to play against Pittsburgh Steelers. His non-throwing shoulder is all sorts of ducked-up, and the potential risk of injuring it even more exists. He already needs surgery on it to properly repair but Mayfield is going to try and stick it out for as long as he can. An injured Mayfield may be the Browns‘ best option at quarterback but questioning whether this is the right decision is certainly not out of line.

Mayfield played fine in his last game against Arizona. He found his targets, had a pretty high rate o accuracy but he did fumble the ball away twice. That had more to do with his shoulder being all sorts of beat-up, but it’s not like the Browns can guarantee he doesn’t get hit again. The Browns pass blocking, even when healthy, has declined. Mayfield was on pace to be sacked more times in 2021 than at any other point in his career prior to missing last Thursday’s game against the Broncos.

So Mayfield is going to get hit. Four of those games where Mayfield got ping-ponged around, was behind a completely healthy offensive line. Well, mostly healthy save for Jedrick Wills’ aggravated ankle. Mayfield is going to get hit a lot in Pittsburgh, so how will he handle it?

Baker Mayfield’s start against the Steelers may decide remainder of season.

If Mayfield doesn’t play well, or if he gets too beat up to finish the game, there can be no logical reason to not put Mayfield on the IR and end his season so he can get surgery. As much as anyone may want to advocate for Mayfield and the Browns’ need for him, this isn’t just about one season.

The Browns have a window of opportunity that stretches five or six years down the road, if everything goes right (and assuming there’s an eventual lull), and you can’t sacrifice tomorrow for today. If Mayfield can’t keep the grip on the ball, or if he starts missing targets as he did after the Houston game when his accuracy fell off due to the injury, then he has to be pulled.

While you’re not looking at too many performance-related issues with this type of injury (besides any caused by pain), what you could be dealing with is a recurring and chronic problem if it persists. The more times you dislocate a joint, the more likely it is to happen again. Mayfield has already had two of those types of injuries to that shoulder this season. He’s now at risk for it happening more often.

If he continues to play, the likelihood it happens again goes up. So if he continues to play and continues to take big shots, it’s possible this is the new normal for him. So the Browns need to be aware of this and be willing to pull him if the injury flares up even a little. You don’t want to deal with this type of injury every year from now on.

So this game against Pittsburgh should really determine what to do next for Mayfield. Maybe he gets through his first series and Kevin Stefanski replaces him to be safe. Maybe Mayfield plays flawlessly and obliterates the Steelers and he goes on to throw 20 more touchdowns this year. We have no idea which is the likeliest scenario, but this game will tell us exactly which direction we’re more likely going.