The Carolina Panthers have moved on from quarterbacks I only traded five months agoas Baker Mayfield has been released, the team announced Monday.
The Panthers sent the Cleveland Browns in the 2024 conditional fifth round in exchange for Mayfield. The fifth-round pick would have turned into a fourth-rounder based on playing time, but with his release, that wouldn’t happen. Mayfield was originally owed $18.85 million fully guaranteed in the final year of his rookie deal. Brown agreed to pay Mayfield $10.5 million in 2022While the Panthers agreed to pay about $ 5 million. Mayfield also reportedly agreed to take a pay cut of approximately $3.5 million in order to transfer him.
Mayfield was given the starting quarterback to start the year, but a sprained ankle suffered in Week 5 took him out of the lineup. He went 1-5 as a starter for Carolina, completing 57.8 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions in seven total games. The Panthers will move forward with Sam Darnold as the starting quarterback, and PJ Walker as his backup.
It was definitely a tough year for the former first overall pick. Mayfield went from Browns franchise quarterback on the cusp of signing a new deal to request a trade that same year. Then he got a snap to show the Panthers he could be a legitimate starter, but only seven games were issued in his tenure at Carolina.
CBS sports cap expert Joel CoreyMayfield would have a waiver claim of $1,349,445, and the Houston Texans would have the first Dibs to claim. It will be interesting to see where Mayfield can go. Sure, the Texans are an option, but so is the San Francisco 49ers, who just lost freshman-turned-backup and turned-again freshman Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending foot injury. The 49ers are perfectly positioned for a postseason run, but given the time so late in the year, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will probably end up passing Mayfield and dealing with a young Brock Purdy who knows their system. Either way, Mayfield is available, and looking for his next home in the NFL.