Ben McAdoo’s Old Comments About Baker Mayfield Going Viral

Why does it matter now?

Because McAdoo runs the Carolina Panthers offense and will call the plays for Baker Mayfield this season.

Time For An Updated Assessment

As of this writing, we have not heard from McAdoo since the drawn-out trade for Mayfield happened.

But we can probably assume he would bump his new quarterback up a few notches.

McAdoo rated Buffalo’s Josh Allen as the top QB pick, followed by Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

He put Mayfield’s new teammate, Sam Darnold, just ahead of Josh Rosen, who is out of the NFL.

And in a final insult, McAdoo had Steelers backup, Mason Rudolph, graded ahead of Mayfield.

Carolina’s offensive coordinator was out of work with a lot of time on his hands when he evaluated the 2018 draft.

And he acknowledged before the event that he was not terribly impressed with any of the quarterbacks.

Mayfield’s task to maintain his new status ahead of Darnold begins in training camp.

What About That Scouting Report? 

Despite 4 years of NFL experience, Baker Mayfield remains short and his hands have not grown.

Mayfield’s leadership and attitude worked for him when he exploded onto the scene in 2018.

Sheer emotion was enough to rally the Browns to a 5-3 record over the second half of that season.

But Mayfield’s emotional makeup came into play again in 2019, when he says he “lost himself” in negativity.

He went to work with his 4th head coach in 2020, and Stefanski helped Mayfield work around his limitations.

Quick decisions off play-action and roll-outs made the most of Mayfield’s arm strength in a playoff campaign.

But multiple personal and team injuries wrecked Mayfield’s follow-up effort.

Whether they completely absolve him of some bad decisions and regression is open to debate.

Can Mayfield Thrive Under McAdoo? 

McAdoo is trying to re-establish himself after an ugly departure from the New York Giants.

He took a job advising the Dallas Cowboys’ offense last season after 2 seasons out of the league.

His efforts earned him a shot at helping to save Matt Rhule’s head-coaching job in Carolina this season.

Aaron Rodgers and a late-stage Eli Manning did well in McAdoo’s offense.

Given their track records, Mayfield should get the nod over Darnold as the Panthers’ starter at this point.

But Darnold will get a legitimate shot at reversing that pecking order, along with rookie Matt Corral.

Carolina is a desperate team, and Mayfield’s addition did not completely settle the QB room.

Mayfield’s penchant for stepping up after perceived insults could give him the edge he needs in 2022.