I think that Baker is really, really hurt, and other teams are doing their best to make sure he doesn't get better against him. I cannot imagine playing QB when you can barely walk because of injuries to a knee and foot .... along with a serious injury to a shoulder ... even a non-throwing shoulder.
So is it then your assertion that both Baker and the team doctors are all lying to us that he's able to play? Because they all say he's ready. I'm not trying to say he isn't suffering from injuries. I'm saying they wouldn't be giving him the green light to play if he wasn't able to. That's why I don't buy into the, "He's damned near ready for a wheelchair" argument.
There are many players who play hurt, and I think that Mayfield is one of them.
We don't pretend that a WR playing through an ankle or knee (or even shoulder) injury is going to be the same player he was without the injury. We don't pretend that an OL or DL playing with an injury is the same as he was without the injury. Players, especially a QB, want to play no matter what. Sometimes they just can't go, and it is the responsibility of the coaches and doctors to recognize this. Many players, through the years, refused to take themselves off the field, even when they had concussions. The teams has to see when a player is just hurting himself, and the team in the long run.
As little faith as I have in Keenum, I would start him against the Ravens, and let Mayfield have 3 weeks to heal up as much as he can for the stretch run.
