Baker Mayfield injury: Labrum tear shoulder recovery timeframe
By Joe Romano
Baker Mayfield has been ruled out for Thursday Night Football with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
The Cleveland Browns’ injury woes are racking up. After re-aggravating a left shoulder injury in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, the injury will force Baker Mayfield to miss the team’s next game. A short week, with Cleveland welcoming the Denver Broncos to town on Thursday night football, was not enough time for the swelling and pain management methods.
There are reports circling that Mayfield has completely torn his labrum in his left shoulder. The labrum is a thick piece of tissue that essentially keeps the shoulder in place. The original injury, suffered when Mayfield attempted a tackle, saw his shoulder pop out of the socket. In Week 6’s loss to the Cardinals, Mayfield fell with his left arm fully extended, which is again a very traditional way of tearing a labrum and having the shoulder pop out of the socket.
According to NFL’s Ian Rapoport, Mayfield “…still has a chance to play the following week.”
Essentially: Baker Mayfield still has a chance to play the following week. But Sunday to Thursday was just too fast. Now he’ll focus on rehab and tightening up the shoulder. https://t.co/GGQ0Q47BCO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2021
Recovery time for a labral tear varies greatly. Just last year we saw fellow No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence go through the entire NFL Draft process with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. This injury never showed up in the weekly reports for his time at Clemson. Lawrence opted for surgery in February and was ready for training camp.
There is a great chance that Cleveland will opt to protect the shoulder in place with a device and focus on rehabilitation while recovering. Even if the reports are true and the labrum is fully torn, Mayfield likely faces a lengthy rehabilitation process and possible surgery. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, recovery from a fully torn labrum surgery to repair can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months.
This all comes down to the severity and type of tear Mayfield has in his left shoulder. With the extra time to heal and see if the inflammation dissipates, there is a possibility, as Rapoport states above, that the quarterback can return as quickly as next week.