Why haven’t Panthers named Baker Mayfield starting QB?

The Carolina Panthers aren’t in a rush to name a starting quarterback for the regular season as they open up the preseason on Saturday. 

Panthers coach Matt Rhule told reporters Saturday he’s “not putting a timetable on the quarterback position” until after the team’s Week 2 preseason game against the Patriots on Aug. 19. 

With newly acquired Baker Mayfield battling Sam Darnold for the Panthers’ top job, “First Things First” cohost Nick Wright wondered why the former Browns quarterback hasn’t been named the starter yet. 

“We all know that Baker’s going to be the starting quarterback,” Wright said on Monday’s show. “They traded for him. They traded for him despite the fact they’re paying Sam Darnold a massive amount of money this year and gave up real, legitimate draft capital for him, way more than what they gave up for Baker. 

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Nick Wright and Greg Jennings discuss why the Panthers haven’t named Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback yet.

“And Baker has been better in the NFL every step of the way. Baker was better in college than Sam Darnold. This is a very, very simple decision. He’s drawing it out why? I don’t know.”

The Panthers gave up three draft picks, including a second-round selection, to get Darnold from the Jets via trade in 2021. They’re paying Darnold $18.9 million guaranteed as part of the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. 

On the flip side, the Panthers gave up only a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick to get Mayfield from the Browns in July. Carolina is also paying Mayfield just $4.858 million, with Cleveland picking up the other $10.5 million. 

Mayfield has statistically been a better quarterback than Darnold since the two were drafted in 2018. Mayfield has more passing touchdowns (92 to 54) and passing yards (14,125 to 10,624), as well as a better passer rating (87.8 to 76.9) than Darnold. 

Even when Mayfield struggled in 2021, he still had a better season than Darnold. The former Browns QB threw for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions over 14 games while Darnold passed for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions over 12 games. 

Former Packers receiver Greg Jennings believes Rhule just doesn’t want to hand Mayfield over the job. He also believes the “competition element” brings the best out of Mayfield, like it did when in 2018 he was in a quarterback battle with Tyrod Taylor as a rookie. 

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“We saw what was a revolving door in his tenure with the Cleveland Browns,” Jennings said. “But down in Carolina, I believe that’s truly what Matt Rhule is trying to put out there: ‘Look, I’m not going to hand this to you. I’ve seen you perform better as a player and as a leader when you’ve had to compete for it. When you’ve had to earn it.’ 

“I think that’s what’s going to get Baker Mayfield back into this fold of if he can be an elite quarterback. We all know he has the talent, the skills, and the tools to do that. But what can get him over the edge? Competing and getting handed over the job is how you start that process-wise.”

In 2018, Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns, a rookie record. Both of those numbers are better than any in Darnold’s career.