Subscribe
Follow Us
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield went to the locker room just prior to halftime of Sunday's game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers after hitting his right hand on the helmet of Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree during the follow through of a throw. Mayfield did not fall to the turf after releasing the ball, but he was seen grabbing his hand in considerable pain as he headed off the field.
It appeared that Mayfield would be ready to open the second half as the team's starter.
Mayfield just jogged to the locker room, looks like his right hand is hurt.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 1, 2019
The play looked reminiscent from earlier this season when New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees sustained a similar looking hit, in which he ultimately missed five weeks due to a thumb injury.
Cleveland has not immediately announced the severity of Mayfield's injury or whether it was the hand or thumb that the team is concerned about. Any kind of prolonged absence from the starting signal caller would all but squelch Cleveland's slim playoff chances as they attempt to battle back in a crowded AFC.
Prior to his departure, Baker Mayfield went 10-for-17 passing for 98 yards through the air, including a 15-yard passing score to running back Kareem Hunt during the second quarter. He was replaced by Garrett Gilbert, who tossed two incompletions prior to halftime.
Gilbert's only legitimate prior regular-season experience came last season with the Carolina Panthers when he stepped in in a pinch and completed two of the three passes that he tossed. Formerly a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Gilbert has bounced around the league and would be the man under center should Baker Mayfield need to depart again.
