Even though Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield will soon duke it out for the Panthers’ starting quarterback job, it’s nothing but love between the two signal-callers.
On Tuesday, Darnold spoke publicly for the first time since Mayfield was traded to Carolina, telling the media that he and his new teammate are “cool” with one another.
“Me and Baker are cool,” Darnold said, per NFL.com. “… We’re going to be able to compete and have fun with it. But at the end of the day, this is a business, and we both take our craft and what we do very seriously. So it’s going to be very serious when it’s time to compete. But off the field and all that stuff, me and Baker are really cool.”
Sam Darnold landed in Carolina in April 2021 after being traded by the Jets. Getty Images
Baker Mayfield spent the past four seasons with the Browns before being traded to the Panthers in July 2022. Getty ImagesThough all appears amicable off the field, the on-field battle between Darnold and Mayfield will surely heat up in the coming days, especially with training camp getting underway. Darnold added that both quarterbacks view themselves as the starter.
“It’s always fun to compete and to be able to have someone to compete with,” Darnold said. “At the same time, in our eyes, we’re both the starting quarterback for this team right now, and that’s how we’re going to view it.”
Darnold, who was selected third overall by the Jets in 2018, struggled mightily in his debut season for Carolina last year. He threw for nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions and completed just 59.9 percent of his passes in 11 regular-season games. His career-low passer rating of 71.9 ranked him 29th in the NFL.
Baker Mayfield in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July 2022. Getty ImagesMayfield arrived in Carolina earlier this month after four seasons in Cleveland, who received a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 in the trade. The Browns acquired Mayfield’s replacement in Deshaun Watson back in March, though his playing status for the 2022 season remains unclear.
With two former first-round picks now at their disposal, the Panthers will have to see which of the pass-slingers will cement himself as a leader of the offense. As for Darnold, he’s welcoming the competition with open arms.
“Any time you bring someone of Baker’s competitive level – the way he competes out there on Sundays, and not only on Sundays but also on the practice field – it can only help the room, and it can only help our team,” Darnold said.
