On top of being a respected veteran leader, Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson is also a solidified and seasoned trash talker. Oh, and so is the new guy.
Following Tuesday’s training camp practice, the fifth-year defender was asked about Baker Mayfield’s well-documented gift of gab. And apparently, the chatter definitely made its way over from Cleveland to Carolina this summer.
“Baker pretty good. He pretty good,” Jackson said with a chuckle. “Good days, bad days—you’re gonna hear Baker. We like it. We like it. He definitely brings the best out of the defense and the offense. I got guys who never really say anything sayin’ stuff . . . DJ [Moore].
“But yeah, he’s an intense guy. Every day you just wanna go out there and pick him off 12 times so you shut him up. He’s a competitor and that’s what we do. Like I said, we’re just trying to bring the best out of each other. We’re not submitting to being a team that’s looked down upon.”
On top of actual good quarterback play, the Panthers have lacked a particular aggressiveness and assertiveness under center since the end of Cam Newton’s heyday. While Mayfield certainly isn’t a prime Newton, he does bring an alpha male mentality the offense has been desperately searching for.
We’ll see, with the former No. 1 overall pick inching closer to being named the team’s starter, how far that attitude can take Mayfield and the Panthers.
