The Browns can cut the drama on Baker Mayfield's injury revelations with a short stay on injured reserve, but they show no sign of doing that. (Associated Press)
Second thoughts: Baker Mayfield’s injury disclosure has opened a Pandora’s Box of new drama
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Second thoughts on Browns’ 17-14 victory over Denver Broncos …
1. One major Kevin Stefanski accomplishment not talked about much has been the elimination of team drama. Nobody wearing clown shoes or obscenely expensive designer wrist watches to draw the attention of NFL uniform police. No sideline arguments with coaches. No players shaving facial hair multiple times during games. Nobody throwing teammates or medical staff under the bus. These were weekly occurrences not too long ago. The new sheriff has quietly instilled a sense of maturity and professionalism in the locker room. It appears, however, that the drama of the Baker Mayfield injury situation is just unfolding. How it’s dealt with will have a big impact on the rest of the Browns’ season.
2. Mayfield’s disclosure to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports that he suffered a fracture to the humerus bone in addition to the totally torn labrum in his left shoulder was shocking to local media and had to be disappointing to the team. Just two days earlier, Mayfield had been grilled with 19 questions about his shoulder injury. He did disclose in that media session that the original injury on Sept. 19 was a “completely torn” labrum, and “there was other stuff that was frayed within it.” But when asked directly if any more damage to the shoulder was done when it popped out again in the Arizona game on Oct. 17, Mayfield answered, “It was not ideal by any means. I am not going to get into the details, but it is not the same.” The news drop volunteered to Glazer came off as Mayfield seeking sympathy at best and an excuse for poor play at worst. Further, it is unbecoming for a team’s quarterback, field leader and offensive captain to disclose any injury that could affect his play. Doing so undermines his ability to lead. Did anyone know that Tom Brady played the entire 2020 season with a torn MCL in his left knee? The Bucs never listed him on an injury report and Brady never let on, even as he was producing a couple of the worst games of his career. Brady sucked it up and proceeded to pull his new team to his personal seventh Super Bowl title – at the age of 43, no less. Stefanski does not make a habit of providing details on any player’s injury. He has been particularly terse in discussing Mayfield’s.
3. So Mayfield has opened a Pandora’s box. Based on his revelations, his left shoulder is bad, really bad. It’s hard to believe he would be fit to play at all, much less at an acceptable level, for the Pittsburgh game or any in the foreseeable future. Stefanski appeared to lay down the law when he said on Friday, “We have been very consistent, and our medical team, with Baker on this injury, and I will continue to listen to the medical staff in terms of when Baker is ready to go.” And now Case Keenum has proved capable of piloting the team to victory. The questions are obvious: If Mayfield is permitted to play, does he give the Browns a better chance of winning than a healthy Keenum? If Mayfield plays, how long before the shoulder is aggravated again? How long before the harness beneath his pads loosens and the shoulder pops out again without contact? The questions will be repeated ad nauseum in Pittsburgh week, Cincinnati week, and so on. Also, if Mayfield returns to the field and is not sharp, is it because of the injury or not? One way to end that drama is to place Mayfield on injured reserve for a minimum of three weeks. The Browns seem reluctant to do that.
4. The elephant in the room, of course, is the big contract extension the Browns have flatly refused to act on. Yes, there is ongoing dialogue – positive, I’m told – between the Browns and Mayfield’s agents. But there have been no offers exchanged. Before the injury, the message from the Browns clearly was that they needed more proof that Mayfield could lead the team to greater heights. If anything, the injury has delayed indefinitely any offer from the Browns. Which just adds to the natural anxiety that may be stirring in the Mayfield camp. All of which doesn’t make Mayfield’s job any easier – or Stefanski’s, for that matter.
5. Speaking of drama, it’s past time for Stefanski to tamp down player criticism of officiating. Yes, the Browns have been victimized by some bad calls. Yes, it seems the refs are picking on the poor Browns. Actually, these things generally even out and nobody recalls the favorable rulings, such as the blatant pass interference by the Browns in the end zone on the final play in Minnesota that was not called. Nevertheless, Stefanski has to get through to his players – particularly Mayfield and Myles Garrett – that complaining about missed calls is counter-productive. The more they complain, the fewer breaks they’ll receive from officials. Yes, Garrett was held frequently in the Denver game. But when he tells the officials to get new glasses, he is only assuring he’ll be held again because teams know the refs subconsciously want to retaliate. “If you go by the book, it is holding,” Garrett said Thursday night. “The refs are kind of giving me the Shaq treatment right now, so hopefully I can get around that.” I think the officials are practicing plausible deniability with Garrett, in particular. They won’t call what they don’t see. So they make sure to look the other way when Garrett is being held. Here’s a tip for Garrett: Kill ‘em with kindness. Shake their hands in pre-game warmups. Greet them by name. Ask how their kids are doing in school. Pretty soon, they’ll be watching him more closely and throwing more flags, as a result.
6. If you ever get overly cynical about the ginormous industry that has become professional sports, just think of the stories of D’Ernest Johnson and Blake Hance to lift you up. Four years ago, Johnson was fishing for mahi-mahi off the Florida Keys to pay bills. Three years ago, he was messaging teams in the upstart Alliance of American Football to beg for a chance to play for them. On Thursday night, Johnson saved the Browns from falling below .500 with the game of his life, rushing for 146 yards and one touchdown in relief of injured superstars Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Afterwards, Johnson was nearly brought to tears when he was informed that LeBron James shouted him out on social media for the great game he was having. Hance’s story is no less compelling. An undrafted free agent from Northwestern, he bounced around practice squads with Buffalo, Washington, Jacksonville and the Jets. In January, the Browns were desperate for a lineman because of a COVID-19 outbreak and they signed Hance. He was thrown into action in the playoff games against Pittsburgh and Kansas City. The Browns liked what they saw, invited Hance back for camp, and he made the regular squad in September. Now, injuries have elevated Hance to versatile and valuable sixth man on the best offensive line in the NFL. And on Thursday, Hance added to his resume, moving from left tackle to right tackle and subduing prolific Denver pass rusher Von Miller to two tackles and one measly hit on Keenum in the first half before Miller had to leave with a knee injury. Johnson and Hance are what athletic competition is truly all about.
