It seems Baker Mayfield wants to put his tenure with the Browns far behind him.
On Wednesday, the newly minted Panthers quarterback took the field for his first training camp practice with Carolina, whom he was traded to earlier this month. As Mayfield stepped outside, however, one fan apparently tried to dredge up memories from his time in Cleveland by holding up his Browns jersey.
The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Mayfield, who then quipped, “Get that jersey outta here.”
Baker Mayfield was traded to the Panthers in July 2022 following four seasons with the Browns. Getty ImagesDespite the unexpected Browns cameo, Mayfield appeared to be well-received by Panthers fans as he walked from the locker room beside his new teammate, fellow quarterback Sam Darnold.
The signal-callers, who were both selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, are currently vying for the starting job. Though it remains to be seen who will win that battle, the fan support appeared to be one-sided as most fans could be heard chanting Mayfield’s name Wednesday.
Darnold, who landed with the Panthers last year after being traded by the Jets, later acknowledged the moment, noting he “heard a couple” cheers.
Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield during Panthers training camp on July 27, 2022. APMayfield appeared to be shaking off some rust in his first practice since undergoing surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in January. The 27-year-old reportedly missed two consecutive throws in seven-on-seven drills, overthrowing wide receiver Brandon Zylstra on a go route, and later leading fellow wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. too far on a crosser. Moments later, the fifth-year quarterback was intercepted by cornerback Keith Taylor as he tried to force a ball downfield.
“I’m not excited about some of the throws accuracy-wise. I got a little greedy on one,” Mayfield said following practice. “Gotta take care of the ball. There was some good, but just not enough of it.”
As for Mayfield’s biggest competition, Darnold had a strong day with the starters, connecting for two touchdowns in red-zone drills and almost had another, but it was dropped by tight end Ian Thomas.
Baker Mayfield throws a pass during Panthers training camp on July 27, 2022. APPanthers coach Matt Rhule insisted the quarterbacks will share the first-team reps throughout training camp. For now, however, the competition between Mayfield and Darnold, 25, is just heating up.
“I don’t have any timetable on it,” Rhule said of a possible decision for the starting role. “I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
