New Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield probably didn’t need any extra motivation heading into Sunday’s regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns, his former team, but may have received just that before the weekend.
As Josh Alper noted for Pro Football Talk, the Panthers confirmed on Thursday that Mayfield was voted one of the club’s eight captains.
It’s a remarkable development considering he’s only been with the organization since Cleveland traded him to Carolina in July after the Browns replaced him with former Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson in March. The first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft went on to defeat Sam Darnold in a short-lived summer quarterback competition and was officially named QB1 by Panthers head coach Matt Rhule on Aug. 22.
“When we started this process, we were looking at three things,” Rhule said at that time. “Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That’s been our focus all along.
“Baker has made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth in all three areas in a short amount of time.”
Mayfield famously guided the Browns to a playoff win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021 but suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 of the subsequent campaign that required him to undergo offseason surgery and that impacted his performances throughout his last fall in Cleveland.
The 27-year-old insisted while speaking with reporters on Wednesday he doesn’t view Sunday’s clash as a “revenge game.”
“I’m grateful for the time I had in Cleveland,” Mayfield explained. “I started my career there. The fans there, it’s a football town. As I mentioned multiple times it ended abruptly and unexpectedly, but we’re here now.
“Everything happens for a reason. I’m rolling with the punches. I’m happy to be a Panther.”
It appears his teammates are also excited to have him along for a ride that begins with Sunday’s home game against a Browns team forced to start backup Jacoby Brissett with Watson suspended for 11 contests over allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.
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