Browns QB Tyrod Taylor returns after scary-looking hand injury
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a left hand injury in the first quarter of Cleveland's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night but was able to return.
On fourth-and-goal from the Eagles' 1-yard line on the Browns' second offensive series of the game, Taylor had to roll out of the pocket to avoid pressure. As he threw the ball, he fell to the ground, and replays showed his left wrist bent backward. Taylor was favoring the arm as he walked off the field after the play.
The team said he was questionable to return, but he came back out on the field in the second quarter of the Browns' 5-0 win. Taylor did not speak to the media after the game, but coach Hue Jackson said X-rays were negative and Taylor will undergo more tests Friday.
"We will continue to look at it and see where we are as we head into next week," Jackson said. "X-rays were negative but I think it is important that we do everything that we need to do to make sure exactly where that hand is."
The Browns also lost first-round draft pick Denzel Ward, who left in the first quarter because of a back injury and was ruled out for the game. Jackson said Ward also will be re-evaluated Friday.
Taylor was 4-for-8 for 19 yards before leaving, and he finished the first half 11-for-16 for 65 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, came in to replace Taylor when he was injured. Mayfield took over again to start the second half, but later left the game after colliding with his own player. Mayfield, who went 8-for-12 for 76 yards with one interception, was checked for a concussion by the independent neurologist and was deemed fine to return, but Drew Stanton took over from there and finished out the game.
The game plan for the Browns had been to play Taylor for the first half and then let Mayfield play most, if not all, of the second half. The Browns' plan is to start Taylor with Mayfield as his backup when the season opens at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 9.
Taylor, who is entering his eighth season, was a two-time Pro Bowl invitee in his three seasons as the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills before being traded to the Browns for a third-round pick in March.
Ward was injured when he made a play on Eagles tight end Zach Ertz in the first quarter. After being down on the field for about three minutes, Ward got up with the help of trainers and made his way off the field under his own power but was ruled out for the rest of the game.
This isn't the first time the Browns cornerback has been banged up over the past couple of weeks. He entered the game battling an ankle injury that has been flaring up since being stepped on last week in practice.
Ward, the No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State, is expected to make an immediate impact in the Browns' secondary this season and has impressed the coaching staff in training camp.
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