Panthers Pick A Starter

08/23/2022

By: Jeff Yoder

Baker Mayfield Wins Quarterback Competition With Sam Darnold

It was July 6 when the Cleveland Browns shipped QB Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers after Mayfield led the team further than any quarterback in more than two decades. Now, the Browns will face him in Week 1. The Panthers named Mayfield the starter on Monday after an intense training camp battle with incumbent Sam Darnold. Both QBs were drafted in the top-3 of the 2018 draft, and they ended up in the same QB room in Carolina just four years later. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Mayfield’s leadership and mastery of the offense was evident.

 

The Reunion: Baker vs. Browns

The storyline now is a revenge showdown with the team that gave up on him. Mayfield and the Panthers will host the Browns in Week 1 (Sept. 11), and Cleveland will be without Deshaun Watson after his suspension was handed down last week. Advantage Carolina.

 

Mayfield’s Stats: Mayfield went 29-30 through four seasons in Cleveland, including a playoff win that was the first for the franchise since 1994. He threw for 3,000-plus yards each season with 92 touchdowns and 56 interceptions. The Browns gave up on him, and he’s got something to prove in 2022.

 

Additional Storylines

Deadspin: After All The Drama, Baker Mayfield Got What He Wanted

NY Post: Baker Mayfield’s Wife Emily ‘Feeling Every Emotion’ After He Wins Panthers QB Job

 

Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images