Carolina Panthers could bench Baker Mayfield
The road to redemption starts now for Baker Mayfield.
After being cast aside by the Cleveland Browns in favor of Deshaun Watson, the former No. 1 overall selection gets an instant chance to prove his doubters wrong from a starting berth after securing a move to the Carolina Panthers. A trade that would have happened much sooner had it not been for the financial aspect holding things back.
All three parties involed made comprimises to rubber-stamp the move, which instantly gives the Panthers an upgrade on Sam Darnold. Whether or not this will be enough for Carolina to make significant strides in terms of results is the big question.
Fate wil place Mayfield against his former team in Week 1. If the Oklahoma product can hit the ground running en route to a morale-boosting triumph, it could be the springboard behind a profitable campaign.
There is a flip side to this coin.
If Mayfield cannot grasp the playbook and endures an inconsistent start, then many fans who were against the decision to begin with will undoubtedly be calling for the Panthers to provide rookie Matt Corral with early experience.
Benching Mayfield if things start badly will come with grave ramifications. It would also put Corral in an impossible position and especially if the Ole Miss product isn’t ready.