It took almost four months but the Baker Mayfield and Cleveland Browns series will come to a conclusion. Multiple sources across the NFL are reporting that the Carolina Panthers have acquired the 27-year-old pass thrower for a 5th-round pick in 2024.
The trade is pending a physical and both teams are splitting the financial portion of the trade. Mayfield will end his Cleveland career after four seasons and start a new chapter in the NFC South.
The drama between Mayfield and the Browns has been messy since the conclusion of the season. Most recently, Cleveland excused the former number-one pick from attending mandatory mini-camp back in June. The decision reaffirmed the Browns lack of interest in Mayfield suiting up this season. The departure of Mayfield and the unknown verdict in teammate Deshaun Watson’s legal matters leaves the quarterback position up in the air for the Browns. One thing is for sure, it’s no longer Mayfield’s problem.
Mayfield enters Carolina with a 29-and-30 career record and over 14,000 passing yards. The Oklahoma product has fired 92 career touchdowns but tossed a career-low 17 last season. He will join a Panthers roster that also has uncertainty at the quarterback position. Mayfield will presumably compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job as Matt Corral and P.J. Walker battle for third-string duties. Darnold enters his fifth season in the league, his second in Carolina.
The former Jet struggled in his first year as a Panther, throwing 13 interceptions in a 4-and-7 performance. Corral was a third-round pick out of Ole Miss this past April and Walker brings nine games of experience on his resume. The Panthers bring some buzz to the east coast entering mini-camp with their new quarterback. Football fans won’t have to wait long for the series to resume, as Cleveland visits Carolina to kick off the season.