Panthers Baker Mayfield back after humbling stint on bench and things changed

May 2024 · 6 minute read

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The last time Baker Mayfield started a game, Christian McCaffrey led the Panthers in rushing and receptions. Robbie Anderson had the Panthers’ longest play of the day — a 32-yard throw from Mayfield. And Matt Rhule was still the Panthers’ coach.

That was six weeks ago, when Mayfield left with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of a 37-15 loss to San Francisco in Rhule’s final game.

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“It’s just a very different situation with some faces not being here anymore,” Mayfield said.

It’s also a different Mayfield who returns to the starting lineup Sunday at Baltimore. After Mayfield missed one game with the ankle injury, the brash, flag-planting quarterback spent the past month being a cheerleader for P.J. Walker, who’s gone 2-3 as a starter but is out for the Ravens game with a high ankle sprain.

It’s been the longest stretch on the bench of Mayfield’s career and the first time he’s sat for anything other than an injury since he backed up Tyrod Taylor’s first three games in 2018 after the Browns took Mayfield with the first pick of the draft.

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Rashard Higgins, who played with Mayfield for four seasons in Cleveland, believes the experience has humbled him.

“Absolutely,” Higgins said, “and I think he needed it.

“People need humbling experiences,” Higgins added. “There’s things that we go through in life and it humbles you. Being a backup, seeing someone else (starting) and just knowing the feeling of, damn, you’re not the man right now. You’re not the starting quarterback. You probably needed that, bro. So we’ll see how his timeout’s been.”

Mayfield, who won a Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, has gotten to see how the other half lives. Maybe there’s been another No. 1 pick who’s run a scout team five years later (JaMarcus Russell didn’t even make five years), but it has to be a short list.

Mayfield said he gained a different perspective during his month “on the outside.” He tried to support Walker, serving as something of a liaison between Walker and coaches and other players. Mayfield found he had more time than he would have if he were starting and tried to use it productively.

“When you’re starting and game planning and focusing on what you’re supposed to do, some things you can let slip a little bit. And it’s not a bad thing. You’re focusing on doing your job,” he said. “But being able to ask P.J. how he wants a route run and being able to communicate that. Or just being able to be another voice behind the scenes to where we can be efficient.”

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The entire year has been humbling for the 27-year-old Mayfield. He was pushed aside in Cleveland after the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield agreed to a $3.5 million pay cut to facilitate the trade to Carolina, where — after beating out Sam Darnold for the starting job — he went 1-4 as a starter and was last in the league with a 54.9 completion percentage at the time of his injury.

Even when Mayfield played well in relief of Walker in a 42-21 loss at Cincinnati, he was back on the bench the following week for a Thursday night win against Atlanta. There were some who wondered whether Mayfield’s window in Charlotte had closed, including him.

“I think there were times where you questioned it,” he said. “But just always stay ready. That’s the clichéd thing to say, but it’s what you have to do.”

It’s fitting that Mayfield will return against a familiar AFC North foe in Baltimore and its MVP-winning quarterback. Lamar Jackson was the 32nd pick in the quarterback-rich draft of 2018, when Mayfield, Darnold (No. 3), Josh Allen (No. 7) and Josh Rosen (No. 10) all went ahead of him.

Steve Wilks said he doesn't remember where he had Lamar Jackson ranked among the QBs in 2018 (when the Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen) — "And if I did, I probably wouldn't tell you."

— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 16, 2022

Mayfield called Jackson a “freak of nature” and joked that Jackson’s mother intimidated him when they met in New York.

“His mom used to work him out. She told me stories for me to get my ass down to Florida and go work out with them,” he recalled. “I politely declined after a few beverages at the Heisman ceremony. She’s intimidating. There’s a reason why he’s so tough.”

Mayfield will step into an offense that’s built differently than the one he ran the first five weeks of the season. Even after trading McCaffrey to San Francisco, the Panthers have leaned into a rushing attack that’s been paced by physical running back D’Onta Foreman and a more consistent offensive line.

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While Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks called Mayfield “an alpha male” and a guy who loves to compete, Mayfield likely won’t be asked to do too much against the Ravens. In essence, don’t screw it up.

“We ran the ball well. That’s what we’ve been doing the last couple weeks. And it’s really taking the pressure off anybody that’s playing quarterback,” Wilks said. “They don’t have to sit back there and try to win the game for us. We’re gonna try to establish what we do up front … and give him a clean pocket when you do try to push the ball downfield.”

The Panthers (3-7) will have their hands full against the always-tough Ravens defense, which ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing defense, third-down efficiency and sacks. Mayfield was 3-5 with Cleveland against the Ravens and had four 300-yard passing games against them.

Mayfield vs. the Ravens

DATESITERESULTC-A-IYDSTD

Oct. 7, 2018

H

W, 12-9

25-43-1

342

1

Dec. 30, 2018

A

L, 26-24

23-42-3

376

3

Sept. 29, 2019

A

W, 40-25

20-30-1

342

1

Dec. 22, 2019

H

L, 31-15

20-33-1

192

2

Sept. 13, 2020

A

L, 38-6

21-39-1

189

1

Dec. 14, 2020

H

L, 47-42

28-47-1

343

2

Nov. 28, 2021

A

L, 16-10

18-37-0

247

1

Dec. 12, 2021

H

W, 24-22

22-32-1

190

2

But the Panthers are 13-point underdogs this week and no one’s expecting them to do much against the Ravens — which is when Mayfield “flourishes,” according to Panthers guard Austin Corbett.

Corbett, who was with Mayfield in Cleveland, is excited to see what he does with his second chance.

“You just never know what’s going to happen in this business. You’ve seen it already with all of our quarterbacks unfortunately going down at some point,” Corbett said. “You can’t ever write yourself off, and that’s exactly what he didn’t do.”

Baker Mayfield: “A good head butt goes a long way.” pic.twitter.com/W7uKvI6Jci

— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 16, 2022

Mayfield hasn’t lost all of his swag, as anyone who watched him head-butt (without a helmet) members of the field goal team (with helmets) late in the Atlanta win can attest. Linebacker Shaq Thompson, who befriended Mayfield before his first training camp with the Panthers, said the head-butts were “Baker being Baker.”

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“I’ve always done that. It just happened to get caught on camera. I’ve done that since college,” Mayfield said. “I love this game. I love my teammates. We work too hard not to enjoy it. A good head-butt every once in a while goes a long way.”

(Photo: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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