4 quarterback moves that make the Vikings look like geniuses
By Randy Smith
Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers
Baker Mayfield‘s tenure with the Cleveland Browns ended when the team decided to trade for and sign Deshaun Watson to a fully-guaranteed contract extension. From there, Cleveland decided to trade Mayfield to Carolina Panthers for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024.
Cleveland felt it was time to move on, and so did Carolina, from Sam Darnold. Mayfield was named over Darnold, who went 4-7 as a starter the year prior. But Mayfield hasn’t impressed many, either.
Since his arrival, Mayfield has completed just 54.9 percent of his passes, with a 4-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. With an overall PFF grade of 46.4, it’s starting to seem Mayfield may not be the answer, even if Darnold already wasn’t.
Mayfield is scheduled to be a free agent after this season, so it’s not too much fault on Carolina. However, they might not want to continue to laugh off the idea that they were interested in Kirk Cousins. Instead, they might have wanted to act on it.