4 major observations from Baker Mayfield’s fourth Panthers practice

Baker Mayfield can separate himself as Carolina Panthers QB1 next week

Now that the acclimatization period has officially ended, the Carolina Panthers should crank things up a notch when the pads go on next week. This is the time when Baker Mayfield can establish himself as the No. 1 beyond all doubt and separate himself from the likes of Sam Darnold and rookie Matt Corral.

Head coach Matt Rhule is looking for the tempo to raise considerably when Monday arrives and players can finally start getting more physical. Something that will likely come with additional urgency from a roster that does appear to be pulling in the same direction right now.

"“This was a four-day acclimation period (to) learn things, get our legs back underneath them. (I’m) very happy with where we are. I think the competition, growth, and development is awesome right now. With all that being said, camp to me really starts on Monday, when we put the pads on.”"

Mayfield will likely split first-team reps with Sam Darnold throughout the week. Even if this is the time when the former Oklahoma sensation should be tasked with more given the circumstances.

This is the time for Mayfield to come to the fore, one suspects.

If this is accomplished in double-quick time, it will remove all the rumors and allow the player to focus on finally getting the Panthers trending in the right direction.