Thank goodness this relationship is finally over. The Carolina Panthers and Baker Mayfield have mutually agreed to waive the QB and his contract, ending one of the worst trades and QB experiments in NFL history.
Man, Baker Mayfield has really fallen off a cliff, hasn’t he? From leading the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years back in 2020 to now getting cut as the third stringer on the 4-8 Carolina Panthers two years later, Baker Mayfield has really seen one of the biggest drop-offs in NFL history.
Okay, maybe saying that Mayfield suffered “one of the biggest drop-offs in NFL history” is a bit of an overstatement given Mayfield was never that great to begin with.
Not to sound like a Mayfield hater or anything, but I’ve never gotten the reasoning behind some people’s (cough…Skip Bayless…cough) love affair with Mayfield as a starting quarterback. In his very best season in Cleveland (2020), Mayfield threw for 3,563 yards, 26 TDs, 8 INTs, and lead the Browns to an 11-5 record.
Yes, those are impressive feats, but that’s what I would expect from a competent backup QB in the NFL.
Don’t forget that Mayfield had David Njoku, former All-Pro Odell Beckham Jr., former Pro-Bowler Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Austin Hooper, and one of the Top-5 best offensive lines in the NFL that season. Oh, and he also had All-Pro running back Nick Chubb and former Pro-Bowl running back Kareem Hunt in the backfield, along with Kevin Stefanski, an offensive minded coach, calling the plays.
Mayfield had a loaded roster and performed as well as I’d expect an average backup QB to do with said pieces. For comparison, I’d say that Cleveland offense is comparable to this current Tampa Bay offense, though with a significantly better running game. Yet, Tom Brady currently has 3,051 yards, 14 TDs, and just 2 INTs with a worse offensive line, a significantly worst running game, and a comparable WR core. Plus, it’s only been 11 games.
Alright, I know I can’t compare Baker Mayfield to the G.O.A.T. Tom Brady in a serious discussion, even though the guy is 45 years old, and Mayfield is a 27-year-old former #1 overall pick, so I’ll compare Mayfield with someone that had a similar roster and is also connected to Brady: Matt Cassel.
After the Patriots bid for the second-ever undefeated season was ruined in Super Bowl XLII by the New York Giants, they came back roaring with a vengeance in the 2008/09 season to right the wrongs of the SB loss…for all of ten minutes. In the first game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady had his ACL completely blown out from a hit by Bernard Pollard that forced Matt Cassel to start the rest of the season for New England.
Just like that Browns team, the Patriots also had great receivers in Randy Moss and Wes Welker, a good tight end in Ben Watson, an okay running game, and a very good offensive line. It wasn’t the 18-1 team of the year prior, but it was still a team that was capable of competing for the Super Bowl with the right quarterback under center.
A team like the 2020 Cleveland Browns.
Unfortunately for Pats fans that season, that QB wasn’t Matt Cassell as he did lead the Patriots to an 11-5 record (like Mayfield) but failed to get NE into the playoffs. However, what’s interesting to look at is Matt Cassel’s stats that year as he put up 3,693 yards, 21 TDs, and 11 INTs…which is very similar to Baker’s stats. A competent backup QB’s stats. Hmm, isn’t that odd?
Anyway, going away my little tangent there, all I’m trying to say is that Baker Mayfield has never been anything more than a competent backup QB in this league, though this season he’s shed the ‘competent’ label for a brand new one: incompetent.
Having completed just 57.8% of his passes for 1,313 yards, 6 TDs, and 6 INTs, Mayfield has been easily the worst quarterback of a group that consists of Jets failure Sam Darnold and XFL legend P.J. Walker. Yup, Mayfield is worse than his fellow draft class bust and a guy who is an XFL QB.
This decision was inevitable as Mayfield was looking at being the inactive, third string QB on a team that is 4-8 and looking at one of the Top-5 picks in the upcoming NFL draft, though it was obviously sped up with 49ers’ starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending injury.
Considering the news that Mayfield and the Panthers came to this conclusion, one would have to believe that Mayfield is making a play at becoming the 49ers temporary starting QB for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. A pretty risky move…but one I’d take a flier on if I was the 49ers.
What could they possible lose by bringing in an experience, backup QB to steady the ship and lead one of the best offenses in the league? If Baker comes in and plays well, then keep him for the playoffs and hope he can lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl. If he plays bad, just go back to Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson and cut Mayfield. Simple as that.
Everything is on Mayfield to prove himself as he’s become the walk-on freshman once again…though with a lot more baggage this time. We’ll see if his bet pays off.
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