Perhaps the worst-kept secret in the NFL is now out. The Carolina Panthers made it official on Monday, naming Baker Mayfield the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the NFL season.
When the Panthers traded for Mayfield in June, sending a conditional pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Cleveland Browns, the organization stated that there would be a competition for the starting job in Carolina. With the Panthers adding Sam Darnold via trade last season, P.J. Walker on the roster already, and drafting Matt Corral in the 2022 NFL draft, there were other options.
But in recent weeks, Mayfield began to separate himself at training camp. Reports began to emerge that the job was Mayfield’s “to lose,” and there were reports last week that the team had indeed decided on Mayfield as their starter for Week 1.
Now, it is official:
Panthers officially announced Baker Mayfield as their opening-day starting quarterback vs. the Cleveland Browns.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 22, 2022
And as you probably know by now, his first regular-season game for Carolina pits him against this former team, the Cleveland Browns.
