Carolina Panthers release QB Baker Mayfield following his appalling performance this season
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Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield is out of a job, yet again. The former first-pick of the 2018 NFL draft has failed to redeem himself as a Carolina Panther. Last offseason, he was in a terrible spot as the Cleveland Browns made a move for Deshaun Watson. The quarterback was traded despite having knowledge of the fact that he may not play for an entire season owing to the ongoing investigation by the NFL into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Just three weeks before training camps officially opened up, the Panthers, after much thought, decided to trade for Baker Mayfield and immediately handed him the starter’s role. He was expected to be an upgrade over Sam Darnold, who is also from the same draft class as Baker but that turned out to be far from reality.
Mayfield ended up leading the team to a 1-5 record. He threw for a total of 1,313 yards, 6 INTs, and had just 6 touchdowns combined this season. He was able to convert on just 57% of his passes, which also happens to be his personal worst. As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Panthers were expected to release the QB and they did just that.
Also Read: Greg Roman, offensive coordinator and the mastermind behind the Ravens’ offense rumored to take over the HC role at Stanford
With Baker Mayfield gone, the Carolina Panthers will rely on Sam Darnold and PJ Walker for the remainder of the season:
Baker’s professional career has been underwhelming so far. He did put up a show in his rookie year in Cleveland but after that; fans have not really seen him live up to the hype and potential that they were promised to see.
With Baker’s departure, he will now be available on the waiver wire, which means the other 31 teams can sign him. However, if by 4 PM ET on Tuesday, nobody decides to make a move for him, he will be an unrestricted free agent. Despite this setback, Baker Mayfield may not be out of a job for long.
It just so happens that the San Francisco 49ers lost their veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo and their top choice for the season, Trey Lance, is also out with an injury. This is a golden opportunity for Baker to make it onto a squad that has immense potential on it. If there is any place, he can go to and prove himself, it is the Bay area.
With Baker Mayfield’s release, the Cleveland Browns will no longer be entitled to receive an additional fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft class from the Carolina Panthers as per the terms of the QBs trade. The team had explicitly laid down the condition that if Baker does not play a minimum of 70% of the total offensive snaps this season, they will offer the Browns a fifth-rounder
This season has been nothing short of a nightmare for Baker Mayfield, who found himself thrust into yet another unforgivable environment. He lost his HC halfway into the season and has had to play on a team that is rebuilding. He currently ranks last in the league when it comes to QBR with a rating of 18.2. As of now, things are not looking good for him considering he is a former first-pick who is struggling to find a job in the NFL.
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Sumedh Joshi
(2235 Articles Published)