Baker Mayfield Won't Play Final Game Of Season

CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield won't be playing quarterback for the Cleveland Browns during the final game of the regular season.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced the team's decision to hold Mayfield out on Tuesday afternoon. He said Mayfield will get surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The injury has bothered Mayfield since the second week of the season.

Case Keenum will likely get the start against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Throughout this thing, we have tried to make the right decision based on all of the information available to us — constant dialogue with our medical staff, with Baker, all those type of things," Stefanski said on the team's website. "Throughout, we have really felt comfortable based on that information that he was able to play.

Losing Mayfield heading into the final regular season game is the latest bitter note in a season of bitter notes. After a preseason that involved postseason and Super Bowl hype, Cleveland lost its chance to claw back into the AFC North title picture when the Bengals upset the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Browns then had a chance to play spoiler for Ben Roethlisberger's final home game in Pittsburg, but were instead easily batted away by the Steelers. Cleveland is now a disappointing 7-9, sadly familiar territory for this franchise.