Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield has experienced the highs and lows of life in the NFL. From No. 1 overall pick and someone who helped a team win their first playoff game in more than 20 years to discounted, underappreciated, and traded. He went from franchise quarterback of the Cleveland Browns to a quarterback competition with the Carolina Panthers.
Crazy how one season, and one injury, can change the perception of a player in the NFL, a league that’s been given the nickname “not for long.”
Over at ESPN, they went through every team in the league and picked their bounce-back candidate, and for the Carolina Panthers, that was former Sooners great Baker Mayfield.
What went wrong: Mayfield really should not have been out there for the second half of the 2021 season. With a litany of injuries piling up, he couldn’t even hit layup throws down the field. After earning a 76.0 passing grade through the first nine weeks of the season, Mayfield earned a 47.1 passing grade across the final eight. — PFF
Mayfield attempted to play through a torn labrum in 2021 and it hindered his play, ultimately leading to criticism from the front office and some in the fan base. After a turbulent offseason, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers, which by all accounts, looks to be thriving.
On a Panthers team with better weapons than what he had in Cleveland, Mayfield could be in store for a bounceback season in 2022.
Outlook for 2022: If the Panthers get the 2020 version of Mayfield, they will be big winners. But first Mayfield has to prove he is good enough to beat out Sam Darnold in their “open” competition. There’s no reason to think he won’t do that, since Mayfield’s non-throwing shoulder appears sound now. Plus, Darnold had a chance to prove himself last year at Carolina and failed. Mayfield is in the ideal situation: a quarterback surrounded by enough offensive talent to prove himself and with a coach in Matt Rhule also…
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