Baker Mayfield Sam Darnold There will be an open competition to begin at quarterback Carolina Panthers, general manager Scott Fitterer said Tuesday.
“This is an open contest. Fitterer explained Tuesday that Baker was being added because it would make the group more cohesive. Cleveland Browns Last week.
Tuesday’s statement by Mayfield stated that he was open to the challenge and that Darnold had reached out to him. He said that he is looking forward to challenging his teammate and competing together.
He acknowledged that Darnold is the same as him and said that he didn’t expect to be a back-up like all NFL players. He indicated that he will eventually “fill whatever role I’m expected to and be an outstanding leader and great teammate.”
Mayfield accepted a $3.5million pay cut in order to trade to the Panthers. He admitted that it was not easy. Fitterer claimed that the Panthers had quickly agreed to draft-pick compensation with the Browns, but Mayfield’s contract was the greatest obstacle in trade discussions. These talks began during the NFL Draft.
Mayfield will be traded to the Browns for a fourth-round or fifth-round draft pick in 2024. Fitterer confirmed Mayfield must play 70% of the snaps to be a fourth-rounder. A source informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Panthers will pay $4.85million for Mayfield’s salary and $10.5 million for the Browns. A source claimed that Mayfield was willing to convert the $18.8 million remaining salary to incentives in order to facilitate the deal, but could earn the money back based on team performance.
Fitterer stated that Darnold is not available for trade by the Panthers and that no other teams have contacted him about it. Fitterer stated that the trade for Mayfield was done with the “short-term” in mind, and that discussions about longer-term deals for Darnold or Mayfield won’t take place until later in this season.
Mayfield stated Tuesday that he will still wear No. After a deal was made with Panthers punter, Mayfield will continue to wear No. Johnny Hekker. He stated that “Six was special to me” because it was the number he received as a Texas Tech graduate walk-on and “symbolizes my story.”
Mayfield stated that he was surprised to be traded by the Browns, but he is open to the possibility of being traded. He also said that despite his animosity toward the Browns, he still believes in their organization and it “gave me four years of my professional career.” Mayfield claimed that Week 1 will see the Panthers hosting the Browns.
His advertising campaign with Progressive Insurance appears to have ended after he traded to Carolina. He will no longer call Cleveland’s Progressive Field his home. Mayfield called it an “opportunity wasted.”