After struggling in last Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said his lingering rib injury had “no effect” on his performance. Although he was medically cleared to play, his physical health played a significant factor. He was replaced in the third quarter by backup QB Case Keenum, after two interceptions and a 54.9 QB rating.
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The initial onset of injury occurred in the Week Five win against the Indianapolis Colts. In the 4th quarter, he sustained a high impact hit to the trunk with the defender’s body weight driving Baker Mayfield onto his side. X-ray imaging was determined to be negative but a direct blow to the rib cage can lead to cartilage or musculature disruptions. As a fundamental anatomical structure to throwing mechanics as well as breathing, rib injuries can be a hindrance to quarterback performance.
Effects on Throwing Mechanics and Performance
Before throwing the ball, quarterbacks are in a relatively upright posture that leaves the trunk and rib cage vulnerable to high collision impact. Injury to rib cartilage or musculature can result in difficulty and pain with overhead movements. The discomfort arising from a rib cage injury can hamper throwing activities. Baker Mayfield’s right-sided injury can be especially problematic since he is a right-handed thrower.
According to the American Sports Medicine Institute, the average velocity of upper torso rotation when throwing a football is 950 degrees per second. Localized pain and sensitivity can restrict trunk motion, thereby reducing the accuracy and speed of the football. The abrupt shifts in weight distribution and transfer of force during the arm cocking and acceleration phases of overhead throwing apply stress to the rib cage. Even during deceleration, high amounts of tension is placed on the torso to maintain balance and control during the throwing motion.
Prognosis
Contact mechanism injuries typically have a good prognosis for spontaneous healing but can be highly painful in the short term. Disturbances in rib cartilage or musculature can take 3 to 12 weeks for the pain to subside. The use of a local anesthetic could be utilized to provide pain relief during live game action. Protective padding is also encouraged until the rib injury is fully healed.
Fantasy Outlook
In our Week 7 positional rankings, Baker Mayfield is positioned as the 22nd quarterback. This is an appropriate designation given his rib injury and recent on-field struggles. Expect the Cleveland Browns to rely heavily on their running game to reduce unnecessary hits to Baker Mayfield.
