Baker Mayfield hit the lowest point in his pro career when he was benched and eventually cut by the Carolina Panthers this season. He struggled mightily after being traded by the Cleveland Browns, leading to his worst season in the NFL.
When he was waived by Carolina, the Rams were the only team to claim him. Their season was all but over, but they took a shot on Mayfield for the final five weeks of the year and allowed him to lead the offense.
He may not have gone 5-0 and miraculously turned the Rams’ season around, but it was a big opportunity for Mayfield with free agency around the corner. He got the chance to prove he can still be a starting quarterback in the NFL, which he’s confident he is.
“I know I’m good enough to be a starting quarterback,” he said after the Rams’ loss Sunday. “I have no doubt about that. Today, I’m not real happy with how I played. I’m gonna kick myself over and over for not putting that ball on the sideline for Van on that last play, but I know I’m a starting quarterback. I’m confident in that. And we’ll just see what happens.”
The biggest question now is whether Mayfield will get an opportunity to start again. As a pending free agent, all 32 teams will have the chance to sign him, but only a handful of those teams will be looking for a new starter in 2023. The Rams won’t be one of them – barring a shocking turn of events with Matthew Stafford.
Mayfield is going to look for the best fit for himself and he won’t simply go to the highest bidder.
“It’s gotta be the best opportunity. I’m not gonna go chase a check to start and play,” he said. “After seeing a place that makes me have fun playing football again, it’s gonna be hard to try something else new, but it’s gonna be a big-time decision. There’s gonna be a lot of thought put into it. There’s gonna be a lot of change this offseason all around the league. There’s nothing I can say right now that would be the true thing in the moment. So, just gonna see what happens and roll with the punches.”
Sean McVay has raved about Mayfield and the job he did in the last month, learning a completely new offense and helping the Rams win two games. He said he’s loved working with the former No. 1 overall pick, and the feeling seems to be mutual.
“Thankful for my time here,” Mayfield said. “This place has been unbelievable for me. I think I’m gonna look back and be really, really grateful for this short time period and what I learned. We’ll see what happens. I have no idea. Luckily, got a few months for that.”
