3 unfortunate truths for Baker Mayfield as his NFL career continues to decline
Baker Mayfield is in yet another tough spot, this time with the Carolina Panthers. The quarterback, who can't seem to find stability with a head coach, is dealing with a familiar situation following the firing of Matt Rhule after just five games.
To add insult to injury, the former No. 1 pick sustained an ankle injury and is set to miss a few weeks of action, with the Panthers trending toward an early pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is not how he expected his season to go after such a tumultuous finish with the Cleveland Browns.
Mayfield was close to a big-money extension at the start of the 2021 season. He is now facing some unfortunate truths as things continue to decline. Here are three truths Mayfield has to accept with his position as a regular starting quarterback in jeopardy.
#1 He is on a failing team
The Panthers entered the season projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. Sure enough, they are 1-4 through five weeks and their head coach was just fired. A firing so early in a season usually means any chance of competing has been eliminated.
Mayfield was cast aside by the Browns and was looking for a new opportunity to prove himself. Unfortunately for him, heading to a team like the Panthers put him at a disadvantage from the start. By the time he returns from his most recent injury, their record may be so bad that they could be fixated on their goal of tanking and getting a top draft pick.
#2 His chances at big money are gone
This is easily the worst scenario for the former No. 1 overall pick. He is sitting by seeing his counterparts get deals worth well over $100 million. In fact, his former team handed $230 million guaranteed to Deshaun Watson, who is still serving a suspension.
Mayfield had a massively successful 2020 season that saw him win a playoff game for the Browns and nearly reach the AFC Championship Game. That came in his third year, putting him in line for a huge extension.
But then came an unfortunate injury early in 2021, which he decided to play through. His play declined, whether due to injury or not is unclear, and a slow start this year likely has front offices in no rush to hand out any sort of substantial cash.
#3 He may just not be good enough to be an NFL starter
Mayfield is famously outspoken and is in fact a former No. 1 overall pick. But it's clear to see he is nowhere near the best quarterback from his draft class, with Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen surpassing him in all aspects.
So far this season, Mayfield has 962 yards and four touchdowns in five games. That is simply abysmal and he may be the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. He does not have the luxury of blaming an injury this season, and while another head coach being fired is tough, he did have the whole summer to work with Rhule.
Given the type of character he is, he is unlikely to accept that he is not starting material. Thus, his only hope now is to return from injury and light it up in December and January to build some sort of stock and maybe land a Mitchell Trubisky-like deal in 2023.