Baker Mayfield injury update: Panthers QB's career as starter may be coming to an end
Baker Mayfield suffered an injury during the Carolina Panthers' Week 5 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 NFL season. He has been officially diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss several weeks while he recovers from the injury.
The good news for Baker Mayfield is that he had multiple doctors examine his injury and it was found that there is no serious structural damage. He will reportedly not require surgery, avoiding a potential season-ending injury and opening the door for his return.
The Panthers will not place him on the Injured List, so they likely believe he will return in around four weeks or less.
#Panthers QB Baker Mayfield received second opinions on his high ankle sprain that confirmed there’s no major damage and no surgery needed, per sources. He’s not going on IR as of now, leaving open the possibility he could be back within four games.
While Baker Mayfield is sidelined, PJ Walker is expected to take over as the short-term starting quarterback for the Panthers. Sam Darnold opened the 2022 NFL season as the primary back-up quarterback, but he is also currently injured, allowing Walker an opportunity to prove his worth.
Walker has had mixed results in his limited time as a starting quarterback. He has only started two games during his career, winning both of them, but totaling just two touchdowns and eight interceptions across all of his appearances, including as a back-up.
Is Baker Mayfield in danger of losing his starting QB job with the Panthers?
Baker Mayfield was acquired by the Carolina Panthers via trade with the Cleveland Browns during the 2022 NFL offseason. The move shortly followed the Browns' acquisition of Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans, essentially ending Mayfield's run as the franchise quarterback.
The Panthers named Mayfield their starting quarterback ahead of the 2022 NFL season, replacing Sam Darnold and moving him to a back-up role. Mayfield was expected to be a significant upgrade for the Panthers, but he has severely struggled through his first five games with the team.
Mayfield has recorded just a 1-4 record to start the season, while completing just 55 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He is now projected to miss at least a month with an ankle injury and there is no guarantee that he will win his starting role back when he's healthy enough to return.
If PJ Walker can find a way to win a few games in Mayfield's absence, it's possible he'll be named the starter for the rest of the season. Mayfield is in the final year of his contract, so the Panthers have no long-term commitment to him as their future quarterback.
This may allow the organization to have a much shorter leash than if he were signed to a long-term contract because he may not even be on the roster next season.
If Mayfield does in fact become a free agent following the 2022 NFL season, there's no guarantee he will receive another job as he would have failed to hold his position with two NFL teams.
Another variable for Baker Mayfield in his quest to regain the starter role is the head coaching situation. The Panthers fired Matt Rhule following their Week 5 defeat and named Steve Wilkes the interim head coach.
Wilkes' opinion of his options for the starting quarterback role may differ from Rhule's, putting Mayfield's job security in serious jeopardy for several reasons.