The Cleveland Browns continue to struggle with injury after injury so far in the 2021 NFL season. The team fell to 3 – 3 on the season with a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6.
The Browns were without running back Nick Chubb and tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin against the Cardinals and lost Kareem Hunt and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah during the game. Hunt and Owusu-Koramoah will be out for multiple games each and Chubb is unlikely to return to action for Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos.
Wills and Conklin could be available but the quick turnaround between games makes it less likely.
The status of quarterback Baker Mayfield is also up in the air after reinjuring his left shoulder while being taken down by J.J. Watt in Week 6. Mayfield wore a sling to his post-game press conference but planned to be available for Week 7.
According to Mary Kay Cabot, Mayfield will be seeking a second opinion on his shoulder to see if playing could cause more problems. The results could decide if Mayfield or backup Case Keenum starts against the Broncos:
Baker Mayfield will get a second opinion on the MRI results of his left shoulder reinjury before Kevin Stefanski can say whether he’ll start Mayfield or Case Keenum Thursday night against the Broncos, a league source tells cleveland.com.
Cabot notes that Mayfield’s shoulder slipped out of place another time during the game when he was not being contacted, a bad sign for the severity of the injury.
If Keenum starts, it will be his first since 2019 when he started eight games in Washington. Keenum was the primary starter for Minnesota in 2017 and Denver in 2018 prior to that.
With the Browns playing on Thursday night, the results of Mayfield’s second opinion will need to come quickly so either he or Keenum can start taking the starter’s reps in practice.
