5 ambitious goals for Panthers QB Baker Mayfield in 2022
By Dean Jones
Baker Mayfield goes over 4,000 passing yards for the first time
Perhaps it is surprising that Baker Mayfield has never gone over 4,000 passing yards in his four-year career to date. However, the Cleveland Browns operated a run-first approach with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, who rapidly emerged as arguably the league’s best backfield tandem behind a stout offensive line.
Mayfield’s career-high in this regard came in 2020 with 3,827 yards through the air. This dipped significantly to 3,010 last season, but one could probably give him a pass considering the former No. 1 overall selection was playing with pain and without Odell Beckham Jr. after his released.
The Carolina Panthers have some solid weapons. Although nobody outside of D.J. Moore managed to make a telling contribution in 2021 thanks to the dismal distribution from Sam Darnold.
Mayfield is never going to be a gunslinger like Patrick Mahomes, but he has a live arm, sees the field well, and can also make things happen when a specific play is not developing as expected. Carolina also has a stronger offensive line and Christian McCaffrey back from injury, so everything is in position for the signal-caller to thrive.
Going over 4,000 passing yards for the first time could be a major step in the right direction for Mayfield. It would also indicate that others within the scheme have lived up to their end of the bargain.