Baker Mayfield earned the starting nod for the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game on Saturday. In exchange for that distinction, he checked an important box against Washington’s commanders: looking healthy, confident and (for the most part) sharp on his lone ride of the day.
Ultimately, that drive stalled on a turnover, allowing the Panthers to kick a field goal in what was a modest debut for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. In that brief appearance, Mayfield going 4-of-7 for 45 yards, also including a drop that hit a wideout in the hands, though it would have been a tough catch.
Either way, it was a much-needed positive start for the quarterback in competition with Sam Darnold — two players trying to get their careers back on track in the final seasons of their rookie contracts. For his part, Darnold was able to take advantage of a short field after a Washington turnover, throwing a nice 8-yard touchdown to throw Rashard Higgins off his back foot as he faced pressure. Darnold sat out the rest of the game after his two plays.
“Obviously Sam [Darnold] He put us in the end zone, Baker [Mayfield] got us down the field,” Rhule said after the game. “It looked like both guys played well.” Rhule also said both Darnold and Mayfield looked “in command,” but said he would have to watch the tape to see more.
For Mayfield, the solid start was arguably his first positive moment since a negative divorce with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. His trade to Carolina was triggered by the Browns’ deal for marauding quarterback Deshaun Watson, leaving a vocal Mayfield up in the air as he publicly and repeatedly asked to be dealt. The result was his eventual low-risk acquisition by Carolina, along with some much-needed simplicity for the quarterback.
This was subtly shown on Saturday. First, it was a brief glimpse that showed the Panthers staff that Mayfield is a healthy version of himself on the field, something Cleveland didn’t really get to see in 2021. It was also the first Mayfield snap that translated that health in trust. , which didn’t appear to be a problem as he moved to create a few plays while taking the aforementioned end zone kick into tight coverage.
The story continues
While there’s not much else to read, Saturday’s debut was undeniably a step up and takes the anxiety out of his first live moment in a different uniform. Mayfield’s next goal will be absorbing Carolina’s offense while battling with Darnold, though it looks like it may already be Mayfield’s job to lose.
“It’s night and day, that’s for sure,” Mayfield said after the game about his comfort level with Ben McAdoo’s offense now compared to the start of training camp. “I’m a lot more comfortable now. Coach McAdoo is going to give us the keys to turn things around on the field. His saying is if he can’t trust us, he can’t trust himself. So I’m a lot more comfortable now, and I think that permeates throughout our offense.”
Carolina’s next preseason game is at the New England Patriots on August 19. Both Mayfield and Darnold are expected to see more play in this game, with a starter likely to be named after this week.
Baker Mayfield started the first preseason game for the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)