Carolina Panthers name Baker Mayfield starting QB for Week 1 against Cleveland Browns
The Carolina Panthers have anointed Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback for Week 1 against Mayfield’s former team, the Cleveland Browns.
“We felt like Baker has made a lot of progress in a short amount of time,” Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Monday. “We felt like it was time to make that decision now.”
Mayfield has been in quarterback competition with Sam Darnold since training camp began. Rhule said he wanted to wait until at least after the team’s second preseason game — last Friday against the Patriots — to name a starter. He said Monday that he met with each player separately to share decision, and then told the team in a group meeting.
“Both those guys are really important to me,” Rhule said. “I’m not going to compare them. At the end of the day I believe in both guys.”
Darnold will serve as the backup quarterback, a role with which he is OK, Rhule said.
“Sam is the ultimate professional,” Rhule said. “He is a true pro in every sense.”
An injury to Matt Corral has left the Panthers with a big decision on a third quarterback, but Rhule also said Monday he hasn’t started thinking that far ahead.
“I’m not going to talk about guy’s futures,” Rhule said. “I’m in the moment. I’m thinking about practice.”
The Panthers took their time in naming Mayfield, though it was clear he had the inside track to start since early August. Though the team believed Mayfield would eventually be their starter, Rhule still evenly split reps between Darnold and Mayfield throughout their joint practices with the Patriots.
“What I think is kind of cool is that they became friends along the way,” Rhule said of Mayfield and Darnold. “Those two guys have elevated the professionalism, showing that it’s not about one guy. It’s about the team”
Friday, the Panthers play their third and final preseason game of the summer, a 7 p.m. contest against the Buffalo Bills. Rhule said the team hopes to play a lot of starters through the first quarter and into second, but they will take it case by case. He said he’s hoping to play Mayfield at least one quarter as the quarterback continues to learn a whole new system.
“It’s not easy what Baker did,” Rhule said. “Between the verbiage and checks, I think he’s a really smart guy. He also works very hard at. it. To me, this is just the beginning. He’s going to keep getting better and better (in this system).”
How we got here
A year ago at this time, Mayfield was on the cusp of many top 10 quarterback lists. Always polarizing, the former Heisman winner set out to prove he was the Browns’ long-term solution as Mayfield and the Browns worked towards a contract extension. But in Week 2, Mayfield tore his left labrum while trying to tackle a Houston Texans player after an interception.
Mayfield played through the pain but did not perform anywhere near his 2020 self. His 13 interceptions were tied for fourth-most. He posted a 35.1 QBR, fifth-lowest among starting quarterbacks and led the Browns to an underwhelming 8-9 record.
Cleveland entered the season with Super Bowl expectations and fell drastically short. Throughout the season there was a disconnect between Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski. While the Browns were losing games, Mayfield was unhappy with the playcalling and thought the team was not playing to his strengths. He also did not like the messaging surrounding his in-season injuries, which in addition to his torn left labrum included a bruised heel and knee and groin injuries.
Once Cleveland openly courted Deshaun Watson, Mayfield requested a trade. When Watson chose to waive his no-trade clause to join the Browns, it was a matter of when Cleveland would trade Mayfield, not if.
Enter Carolina.
Rhule is coming off consecutive five-win seasons and must win now to keep his job. Owner David Tepper, burned by two big offseason quarterback moves (Teddy Bridgewater in 2020 and Darnold last season) is hoping the third time will reverse his fortunes.
For several weeks, the Panthers and Browns had the parameters of a trade set but neither side could agree on how much of Mayfield’s $18.9 million each would pay. Once Mayfield agreed to trim $3.5 million off his deal, the Browns were comfortable paying $10.5 million while Carolina picked up the remaining $4.858 million. Mayfield can recoup the missing $3.5 million via on-field incentives based on playing time percentage and performance.
The Panthers parted with a conditional fifth-round pick (which can become a fourth-round pick), a low price for a quarterback who is only a year removed from posting career bests in interceptions (8), QBR (65.5), and yards per attempt (7.7). A closer look reveals he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league over his last six games of the 2020 season. Mayfield threw for 1,713 yards, 11 touchdowns, one interception and a 103.4 rating. The Browns went 4-2 before beating the Steelers on wild-card weekend, giving Cleveland its first postseason victory since 1994.
Mayfield — desperate for a new locker room — landed in the only place where he’d be offered an opportunity to compete for a starting job.
And now, the job is his.
This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers name Baker Mayfield starting QB for Week 1 against Cleveland Browns."
