As injuries mount for Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield, is he ready to play today when the Browns face the Ravens in Sunday Night Football? Let’s take a look at the latest information regarding Mayfield’s availability in Week 12, his performance this season, and why 2021 is crucial for 2018’s top overall pick.

Does Baker Mayfield play in week 12 despite growing injuries?

It’s been a tough season for Mayfield and the injury bug. He first appeared in the Browns injury report in Week 3 with a left shoulder injury. It was an injury to that same shoulder that caused him to miss Week 7 – he’s been on the injury report since. In week 10, a foot injury was added, followed by a knee injury in week 11, and a groin injury in week 12.

The good news is that sentiment has generally been optimistic throughout the past two weeks regarding Mayfield’s availability. He did not participate in training last Wednesday, but it was more to rest than a serious worry. Mayfield was a full participant in training Thursday and Friday. He carries no injury designation in the weekend and is expected to start against the Ravens.

The 2021 season has been difficult for the Cleveland QB

Fighting injury is always tough for any QB. Plus, Mayfield struggled at times, especially in the last two games. The first nine games saw him post numbers that were good without being spectacular, but lacked consistency. Four times in his first eight games, passer scores topped 100, with two more in the 90s.

However, as the injuries accumulated, the level of performance dropped. In the past two weeks, Mayfield has completed just 26 of his 50 assists (52%). During that time, he threw just 249 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He’s only averaging 4.98 yards per passing attempt this season.

Mayfield is in desperate need of a solid ending until 2021

This season and 2022 are vital for Mayfield – it’s his last two years under contract with the Browns. This season is the final year of the rookie deal, with his fifth-year option in 2022. If he is to win a well-paying long-term contract, he has to end the year strong. Otherwise, he will have to bet on a solid 2022 season.

Currently, Mayfield is struggling to stand out from the crowd in 2021. His performances in the first 10 weeks have seen him essentially providing league average value to his offense according to Pro Football Network’s Offensive value metric.

Injuries haven’t helped, but they don’t stop Mayfield from performing particularly below his career average according to OVM. Mayfield’s LMO rating of 22.4 is the third highest in his career. As a rookie, Mayfield posted an LMO of 23.86. In second year, that number dropped to 21.92, then peaked at 24.73 in 2020.

To put those numbers into context, Joe Burrow is currently providing the most value to his attacking QB position this season. Its LMO rating in 2021 is 30.48. In contrast, Sam Darnold brings the least value to the position. His LMO score this season is 16.27. It goes to show how Mayfield has largely provided league average value to the Browns over the course of his career.