4 Carolina Panthers players not pulling their weight in 2022

Baker Mayfield – Carolina Panthers QB

When one examines where it all went wrong for the Carolina Panthers this season, it’ll all start at the quarterback position once again. Instead of focusing on building around a college prospect immediately, Matt Rhule opted to let his ego get in the way and secure veterans down on their luck and hope his supposed coaching methods could bring them back to life.

That didn’t happen and Rhule was shown the door. It took a while for the penny to drop for team owner David Tepper, but mercifully this is a problem the Panthers no longer have.

The final nail in Rhule’s coffin was trading for Baker Mayfield. This was the move that many expected could take Carolina into contention in Year 3 for the newly-appointed Nebraska head coach, but it was evident from early on that this wasn’t coming to fruition.

Mayfield came in chasing. He had to learn a new system quickly and Rhule deciding on a quarterback competition in camp denied the former Oklahoma standout critical time to develop chemistry with his primary weapons.

These are excuses. But at the end of the day, Mayfield hasn’t been good enough and it is unlikely fans will see him under center for the Panthers again.

What comes next for Mayfield is unclear. He’ll be forced to accept a backup role somewhere else, but there’s also a chance nobody comes calling based on the player’s concerning regression over the last two years.