CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Baker Mayfield is clear to go.
The Browns activated Mayfield from the reserve COVID-19 list Wednesday morning after his tests over the past few days all came back negative.
“I was pretty hopeful that he’d be back in the building [Wednesday], pretty confident I should say,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He made sure that Monday and Tuesday he was spending a lot of time in meetings virtually watching a lot of tape and preparing to play a solid game this weekend.”
Mayfield was unaffected by the designation and returned in time to begin preparations for Sunday's game with the Houston Texans.
“If you look at it in a normal week, Monday is a day to review film from the game prior and get your body right,” Mayfield said. “I just treated it as an extended day of our bye week to continue getting my body right and then be in meetings and learn on our bonus day, as coach calls it, and stay in tune with that.”
The bye week came at the perfect time because Mayfield would not have been allowed to play last Sunday and his sore ribs got some time to heal.
“I feel a lot better now,” Mayfield said. “Some much needed rest. It is amazing what just not getting hit on one Sunday does for you. I know a lot of our guys needed it, as well so I am happy about it.”
Mayfield was placed on the list as a precaution after coming in close contact with a staff member that tested positive on Saturday prompting the team to enter the league's extensive safety protocols.
“We talked about embracing the suck,” Stefanski said. “It’s not a lot of fun having the thing stuck up your nose every morning, by the way they do a great job though, the ladies out there. It is what it is. It’s what we’re dealing with, so I applaud the guys from that perspective.
“The intensive protocols, you’re wearing masks. We’re already wearing masks. We’re meeting virtually. We had been meeting virtually. That’s 2020.”
The positive test by a staffer is the first for the organization since the start of training camp and no player or coach has tested positive for the virus since training camp practices began in August.
As COVID-19 cases spike within the league and around the country, the prospect of the season being interrupted is very real but Mayfield stressed they can do their part to prevent it by following protocols.
“It is a full effort from everybody,” Mayfield said. “Not only just players but staff, families of staff and families of players. Everybody has a hand in the pot, and it is so true because of the close contacts. It is not just if you have COVID. It is if you have been around somebody, immediately you can be out for a few days. Where it hits in the week, it can be critical to a game or not. Those are things that lucky it was on a bye week, that is for sure.”
Mayfield and the Browns now turn their attention to the second half of the season. They're 5-3 but now on the outside looking in as far as the current playoff picture goes but plenty of time to secure a reservation for January remains.
Stefanski and Mayfield both analyzed the first eight games – what went right and what they need to correct.
“I think Baker would tell you there’s moments where he was really good and moments he wants to get better,” Stefanski said. “We can help him, I know that. We can help him for sure in some of the design, some of the play calls but I think he’s ready to ascend.”
Mayfield has completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,514 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.
“I feel like we are getting better. I think that the positive outlook was that we were getting better,” Mayfield said. “You do not want to pat yourself on the back. You want to look at what we are doing well, see how it complements other things and try and put that together. Done some good things to put us in position to win, but I think some of the turnovers or things that can be easily be fixed. To me, that is a positive. That is a positive outlook that they are easily fixed, and I can do that and I can manage that to give us even more position to win later in games and as the season goes on.”
