Why Panthers’ Baker Mayfield is expected to start at QB over Sam Darnold, per report
The Panthers have yet to announce who will start for them in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, but it appears the team has already made their decision.
According to The Athletic, Baker Mayfield is expected to be the winner of the Panthers’ quarterback contest. He had gone neck and neck with acting starter Sam Darnold since joining the team on July 6 through a trade between the Panthers and the Browns.
Now Mayfield appears poised to take on his former team when Carolina hosts Cleveland in Week 1.
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The timing of Carolina’s upcoming decision shouldn’t come as a surprise. Coach Matt Rhule hinted after the Panthers’ 23-21 win over the Commanders last season that the team might be ready to make a decision in the not too distant future.
“I wanted to at least get to that point. If we know, we know. So it could be anytime,” Rhule said, per The Athletic. “It could be another two weeks. It could be now. … We’re just making sure we’re thorough.”
It should also come as no surprise that Mayfield is likely to be the pick. He was the presumptive favorite in the QB battle heading into camp, cementing his place at the top of the team’s depth chart along the way.
How exactly did Mayfield impress the Panthers? Here’s a look at why Mayfield will be Carolina’s pick as quarterback.
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Why the Panthers’ Baker Mayfield is likely to start over Sam Darnold
Mayfield seems poised to start for the Panthers for a number of reasons: his performance surpassed Darnold’s and he impressed the team with his leadership skills.
Baker Mayfield outshone Sam Darnold on his preseason debut
Mayfield and Darnold both played sparingly in the Panthers’ first preseason game, but each led a scoring drive in limited action. However, Mayfield was more impressive on his one drive than Darnold on his two.
Carolina got the ball second in their game against Washington and Mayfield was the first quarterback on the field. He led a 13-play, 54-yard drive, completing 4 of 7 passes for 45 yards. He kept the chains moving, converting 3 of 4 third downs and showing solid movement skills that allowed him to get out of a potential sack and pick up a 3-yard gain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loctp9wSrz4
Mayfield didn’t lead the Panthers to a touchdown; The team remained stuck in the red zone thanks in part to a fumbling exchange between Mayfield and center Pat Elflein. Still, he moved the ball better than Darnold, who had an impressive touchdown pass after getting short field but only completed 2 of 3 passes for 16 yards on two drives.
A pre-season red carpet rollout 😎 pic.twitter.com/4km3e7LmvA
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 13, 2022
Rhule noted that Mayfield had a solid performance in his post-game press conference.
“He did a good job moving it with his feet and finding checkdowns,” Rhule said.
Apparently, securing the starting job for Mayfield was nice enough.
MORE: Baker Mayfield says there was ‘some good, some bad’ in Panther debut
Baker Mayfield stats vs. Sam Darnold stats
It was to be expected that Mayfield would surpass Darnold in the preseason. Since both joining the league in 2018, Mayfield has routinely topped Darnold in every major passing category.
Mayfield has also led a team to a winning record at least once; Darnold doesn’t.
Below is a look at how Mayfield’s career stats per 17 games played compare to Darnold’s.
| player | Comp % | Past farms | YES | TDs exist | INT’s | valuation |
| Baker Mayfield | 61.6 | 4,002 | 7.3 | 26 | 16 | 87.8 |
| Sam Darnold | 59.8 | 3,612 | 6.5 | 18 | 18 | 76.9 |
Add that Mayfield’s 29-30 career record (.492 win percentage) is significantly better than Darnold’s (17-32, .347 win percentage) and Mayfield’s earlier performance inspires significantly more hope than his counterpart. That’s especially true considering Mayfield struggled with multiple injuries in 2021, including a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
MORE: Ben McAdoo thinks Panthers’ QB fight will go well ‘as long as we don’t resort to cannibalism’
Baker Mayfield’s leadership
Mayfield’s personality has been a frequent topic of conversation at Panthers camp and his leadership skills have greatly impressed his new teammates and coaches.
You only have to look at offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and wide receiver Robbie Anderson to see this. Both men appeared to have been among Mayfield’s critics before the Panthers took over, but each has changed their mind about the quarterback in recent weeks.
McAdoo noted that he was impressed by both Mayfield and Darnold in the team’s nascent quarterback competition ahead of Carolina’s first preseason game. When pressured about Mayfield, he cited leadership as one of the 27-year-old quarterback’s best qualities.
One of his strengths is command. He can lead a space, he can command a space, he can command an offensive. He has a good presence about him. And, you know, he’s got a fire in his gut.
Anderson thought the same, also noting that Mayfield’s swagger helped him defeat Carolina during his six weeks with the team.
“He’s smart,” Anderson said, per Sports Illustrated. “He picked up on the offense fairly quickly. I really like his energy. I really like that about him. As is his leadership. And his confidence.”
Anderson had posted on social media earlier in the offseason that he didn’t want Mayfield to join the Panthers. Now it looks like he’s happy with the trade, so maybe he was just defending Darnold, who was his quarterback at the time of the Mayfield trade speculation.
Anyhow, Mayfield seems to have emerged as the true leader for Carolina. That certainly helped him a lot in winning the Panthers quarterback fight.