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Baker Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers last week for a conditional draft pick in 2024. Mayfield played his first four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns and fared pretty well. He finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2018 and had his best professional season in 2020. However, last season Mayfield had his lowest yardage, touchdowns and quarterback rating marks of his career.
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Cleveland decided there was a need for change at the quarterback position this offseason. The Browns traded for former Houston Texans star quarterback, Deshaun Watson in March. After this move, Mayfield saw that his time in Cleveland was over and requested a trade. The Browns thought the same and traded Mayfield to Carolina for either a fourth or fifth round pick in 2024.
No Hate For Cleveland
Mayfield has shown no criticism for his former team or the city of Cleveland. The Browns organization and his former home will always stay near and dear to his heart.
Week 1 of the 2022 season will have Carolina hosting the Browns in a game that is sure to have pulses racing.
It seems fitting that Mayfield’s first game as a Carolina Panther will come against the Browns. Anytime a player goes up against a former team, especially when things end the way they did, it is always an interesting match up. While Mayfield is staying professional and will not publicly shame the Browns organization, there is no doubt that winning in Week 1 will mean a little extra for the new Carolina man.
New Beginnings
Mayfield is very excited to be a Carolina Panther. He knew his Browns tenure was up, but with some familiar faces in Carolina, it is time for a new chapter in the quarterback’s career and he can’t wait to get started.
The Panthers have hired four former Cleveland assistant coaches, including offensive line coach, James Campen, this offseason.
They have also signed former Browns’ wide receiver, Rashard Higgins. Higgins, who has played with Cleveland his entire six-year NFL career, has built a close relationship with Mayfield.
It has not been an easy first few days in Carolina for Mayfield as he has had to do a lot of cramming to ensure he is able to do his job to the best of his ability. Learning a whole new system while trying to build relationships is always difficult. With training camp starting just a couple weeks, Mayfield will have to memorize the playbook and attempt to familiarize himself with his coaches and teammates while keeping himself in game-shape.
Mayfield has said that he has felt very welcome since becoming a Panther by everyone in the organization. Just by making a few phone calls, he feels that the comradery within the locker room will be fantastic and should make his job much easier.
Quarterback Battle
This will not be the first time Mayfield and the other Carolina quarterback, Sam Darnold, will compete against each other for a spot. Back in 2018, the two vied for the number one pick in the NFL Draft. Mayfield won that battle as he was selected number one overall to the Browns and Darnold was picked third by the New York Jets.
They will now compete for the starting QB job in Carolina, and they are both up for the challenge.
Darnold and Mayfield have had a great relationship for years and that will only help them grow as players. Being in the same quarterback room as each other will make them push each other to be the best that they can be.
This relationship and the competitive nature of both players will make for an exciting training camp. As with any NFL quarterback, neither Darnold nor Mayfield wants to be the backup. They will both give it their all to win the starting job and this competition will make both guys better.
With Mayfield starting a new chapter in his NFL career, it is exciting to see if he will be able to turn his career around as a Carolina Panther.
