Baker Mayfield is without doubt one of the extra notable names anticipated to alter groups forward of the 2023-24 NFL season.
Final yr the previous Oklahoma standout joined the Carolina Panthers in hopes of pumping contemporary life into his profession. The Cleveland Browns had simply dumped him in favor of Deshaun Watson, and lots of had been curious to see how he would reply.
Because it seems, not significantly impressively.
Mayfield didn’t do a lot of be aware in Carolina and finally noticed the Panthers go for each P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold over him. Finally, he parted methods with the workforce and joined the Los Angeles Rams in a late-season bid to show he was nonetheless a starter.
The outcomes to that experiment had been combined as nicely. Mayfield had one good sport and one respectable one, however he largely didn’t separate himself from the pack in L.A. as nicely.
When it was all stated and finished, Mayfield ended his 2022-23 NFL marketing campaign with 2163 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Each had been career-lows. His 63.6 p.c completion proportion with the Rams was higher than his 57.8 p.c with the Panthers, however each had been inside vary of his 61.4 p.c profession completion proportion.
So the place does Mayfield go from right here? Up to now two groups have been talked about as being in severe competition for his companies.
This week, a frontrunner emerged.
In response to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the New Orleans Saints are a squad to keep watch over. Clearly the NFL is in a state of flux proper now with quarterbacks enjoying musical chairs, and Mayfield will seemingly discover himself a chair based mostly on what guys like Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers find yourself doing.
“The Saints workers was excessive on Mayfield forward of the 2018 draft, and people previous draft evals can positively have an effect down the street with guys as they become old and hit free company, particularly when there’s a necessity that may be tied to it,” Breer wrote.
Clearly New Orleans has been related to Carr in current weeks, however he’s arguably probably the most sought-after passer accessible proper now. There are three franchises chasing him in the mean time. It will definitely behoove the Saints to have a Plan B.
Mayfield positively isn’t anybody’s first alternative as a beginning quarterback at this juncture. Clips of him attempting to throw passes at observe haven’t precisely elevated his inventory worth. And his off-the-field woes, like that bizarre leaked DMs scandal, are definitely eyebrow elevating.
Vanessa Bryant stole the present at #NBAAllStar this weekend. https://t.co/nSez5HR8et
— Sport 7 (@game7__) February 19, 2023
That stated, it’s onerous to disregard how embellished Mayfield was popping out of faculty. If nothing else, that may at all times earn him a second-look from varied NFL franchises.
A variety of quarterbacks are going to be altering groups over the subsequent couple of months. Mayfield will likely be one among them.
Which chair will Mayfield be sitting in when the music lastly stops? Time will inform.
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