Kevin Stefanski: Baker Mayfield starts as long as he’s healthy

[Who Dey]

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Baker Mayfield started Sunday’s game for the Browns, but the quarterback didn’t finish it.

Mayfield dealt with sore ribs during the week and head coach Kevin Stefanski pulled him late in the third quarter with the Browns down 31-7 to the Steelers. Stefanski said the move was made because he was taking the long view with 10 games left in the season.

“I just did not want to see him get hit one more time, and I put that on myself,” Stefanski said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Went into this game knowing we had to keep him clean, and we did not do a good enough job so that that starts with me obviously. He is a very, very tough player and I know he wants to fight, but it is a long season, we have a game next week and I did not feel like it was the right thing to put him back out there.”

Stefanski said that Mayfield will start against the Bengals in Week Seven as long as he’s healthy and said he believes that will be the case. Mayfield was 10-of-18 for 119 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions through the air and he was sacked four times before heading to the bench.