CLEVELAND — A once jovial crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium temporarily went silent on Sunday after quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared to injure his shoulder after making a tackle following an interception in the second quarter of the Cleveland Browns' Week 2 matchup vs. the Houston Texans. But after going into the team's medical tent and then locker room holding his left shoulder, Mayfield made his return and took the field for the Browns' next offensive series.
Mayfield's apparent injury occurred after he threw an interception to Texans safety Justin Reid. After helping bring Reid down with a leaping tackle following a 24-yard return, the Cleveland quarterback got up holding his shoulder and headed straight to the team's medical tent on the sideline.
Mayfield's injury appeared serious enough that backup Case Keenum began warming up on the Browns' sideline as the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft briefly headed to the Cleveland locker room. Mayfield, however, emerged from the team's tunnel as Houston's offense completed a six-play, 47-yard drive, with a 15-yard Tyrod Taylor touchdown run giving the Texans a 14-7 lead over the Browns with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter.
Prior to leaving the game, Mayfield had completed 9 of his 11 pass attempts for 110 yards. His return came in time to not miss a snap of the Browns' home opener, which marks FirstEnergy Stadium's first regular-season game with a full capacity of fans since the 2019 season.
To add icing on the cake, Mayfield was able to tie the game up with a 5-yard touchdown run just before halftime.
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