CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns still have five games left in the 2021 regular season, but it appears that Baker Mayfield already has some offseason plans. According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, it has already been determined that the Browns' quarterback will need surgery to repair the injured left shoulder that he's been dealing with throughout the 2021 campaign.
"Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has healed up from some of his many injuries during their bye week, but sources said he will have to wear a harness for injuries to his left shoulder for the remainder of the season and will require a surgical procedure on it after the year," La Canfora wrote on Sunday morning.
According to La Canfora, a timetable for Mayfield's recovery has yet to be determined and won't be known until a surgeon examines his shoulder.
Now in his fourth season in Cleveland, Mayfield initially suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder attempting to make a tackle following an interception in the Browns' Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. In the time since, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has reaggravated that injury and fractured a bone in his left shoulder, in addition to suffering injuries his left foot and right knee.
While Mayfield missed Cleveland's Week 7 win vs. the Denver Broncos due to his shoulder injuries, he has largely continued to play through his ailments to varying degrees of success. Speaking to reporters ahead of the 6-6 Browns' Week 14 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens (8-4), the 26-year-old signal-caller said that Cleveland's bye week allowed him to get healthier than he previously had been.
"Quite a bit, to be honest with you," Mayfield answered when asked how much the bye week helped him health-wise. "I haven't had any setbacks in the past few weeks and then to get another week off, I'm looking forward to keep getting better as the weeks go on."