Baker Mayfield not ruled out for Week8, unlikely to play based on bone injury

The Cleveland Browns have a vital game against AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. On Halloween, the Browns hope to prove that last year’s playoff victory was no trick. While it would likely be a treat for the team to have Baker Mayfield starting at quarterback, it seems unlikely.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked a lot of questions regarding Mayfield’s health at Monday’s press conference. Stefanski, as he often does, was vague in answering most of them (according to the Browns media transcript):

On how QB Baker Mayfield is doing:

“Good.”

On if he is not ruling anyone out for Sunday’s game yet:

“Correct.”

On if the Browns expect Mayfield to practice Wednesday:

“We will see.”

On if Mayfield could play on Sunday without practicing this week:

“We will see.”

On if another week of rest would help Mayfield recover:

“I would probably be speaking out of turn if I spoke to that. I think that is really a medical type of thing. I would just tell you, I am listening to all of the people that have the degrees, and we will go with what they tell us.”

In the end, Stefanski has not ruled out Mayfield for Week 8 nor would he speak regarding if the quarterback would go on injured reserve. Cleveland could opt for the injured reserve list if they believed he would miss the next three games, making it four in total with the Week 7 inactive status.

Given the new information provided on Thursday regarding a fractured bone along with information inside the report surrounding his recovery from labrum surgery, it seems unlikely that Mayfield will be available in Week 8.

While placing Mayfield on injured reserve would open a roster spot for the next three weeks, the Browns have some flexibility with the ability to elevate Nick Mullens from the practice squad.

We will continue to monitor Mayfield’s practice status and provide an update when the injury report comes out on Wednesday.