After less than one season in Carolina, Baker Mayfield‘s time with the Panthers is set to come to an end. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the team will place their former starting quarterback on waivers later today. ESPN’s David Newton tweets that the 27-year-old requested the move.
Mayfield was acquired in the summer in a move that concluded a drawn-out negotiating process between the Panthers and Browns. The former No. 1 overall pick requested a move out of Cleveland, one which became inevitable upon their acquisition of Deshaun Watson in March. Mayfield, as expected, won a training camp competition between himself and fellow 2018 draftee Sam Darnold.
The former Heisman winner took on the No. 1 role for the first five games of the season, but failed to live up to expectations; the Panthers’ Week 5 loss proved to be the final game of former head coach Matt Rhule‘s tenure with the team. With Darnold and rookie Matt Corral sidelined to injuries, Mayfield had little in the way of competition for a first-team spot until he suffered a high ankle sprain of his own. That paved the way for former UDFA P.J. Walker to take over for five consecutive games.
Mayfield replaced Walker during the second half of the Panthers’ blowout loss to the Bengals in Week 9 but was not given another start until two games later against the Ravens. That contest, like much of the rest of the campaign, did not go according to plan as Mayfield has searched for a return to the form is shown in his rookie season and interim head coach Steve Wilks has taken the remainder of the season to evaluate each available signal-caller on the roster.
With Darnold back to full health, Wilks made it clear that he would see action as the starter in the closing stages of the season. As expected, then, the failed Jets passer worked as a first-teamer in Carolina’s Week 12 win against the Broncos. He will do so again this week, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noting that Walker will, to little surprise, serve as the backup (Twitter link). With Corral sidelined for the season, those two will see out the rest of the year for the 4-8 Panthers.
Darnold’s return spelled the end of the road for Mayfield in Carolina, but he will not be expensive for an acquiring team. Less than $1.5MM remains on his 2022 contract – the fifth-year option which made this a hugely important season for him as he approaches free agency. Given that figure, and the season-ending injury suffered by Jimmy Garoppolo yesterday, the 49ers represent an obvious candidate to put in a claim. San Francisco’s current QB depth chart consists of Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson, so Mayfield could at least compete with those two as the NFC West leaders look to make a deep playoff push despite their injuries at the position. If he goes unclaimed, Mayfield will become a free agent.
More must-reads: