5 former Carolina Panthers players who could thrive on new teams in 2023
By Dean Jones
Baker Mayfield - Former Carolina Panthers QB
Matt Rhule made one last gamble at football's most important position in a bid to save his job. The Carolina Panthers bided their time before trading for Baker Mayfield, ensuring they got a good deal both in terms of draft compensation and how the player's fully guaranteed $18.89 million would be divided.
Mayfield made a good early impression throughout training camp. But as always, Rhule couldn't help overcomplicating things by placing the former Oklahoma star in a needless quarterback competition with Sam Darnold when everyone knew who'd be starting Week 1.
Despite an encouraging second-half display against the Cleveland Browns, things tailed off dramatically for Mayfield. After underwhelming on his start against the Baltimore Ravens, he was cut as Steve Wilks moved forward with Sam Darnold.
An indifferent spell with the free-falling Los Angeles Rams followed. This left Mayfield's long-term prospects hanging in the balance, but the No. 1 overall selection in 2018 somehow got another chance of starting once again next season.
Mayfield signed a short-term deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which might be good news for the Panthers given the player's inconsistent production in recent years. However, the signal-caller does have some nice weapons to utilize and could be successful with a more structured off-season period.