After a 2021 season in which he was waylaid schematically by his coaches, and injuries limited his effectiveness, leading to a trade from the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers, it appears that Baker Reagan Mayfield is feeling dangerous once again.
Mayfield easily wrested the starting job from Sam Darnold (which was easily expected), and in the Panthers’ preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, Mayfield looked like his 2020 self — when he and his coaches were on the same page, and he could actually throw a football in a functional sense.
It would appear, at least at first glance, that the answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” Before he was replaced in this game by Darnold (just to keep everybody healthy for the regular season), Mayfield completed 10 of 16 passes for 105 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. And this was with Bills rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam erasing one of Mayfield’s attempts with this outstanding coverage.
Kaiir Elam continues to be sticky in coverage. Ended a Panthers drive here. pic.twitter.com/4J82QWEPlg
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 26, 2022
Mayfield’s first touchdown came with 6:05 left in the first quarter on a two-yard boot pass to running back D’Onta Foreman…
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 27, 2022
And then, with 12:09 left in the first half, Mayfield hit second-year receiver Shi Smith on this 19-yard touchdown dart.
🗣️ Shi really is that guy pic.twitter.com/R6PBhZ4LCD
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 27, 2022
If Mayfield looks like this in the regular season — starting with the team’s Week 1 opener against the Browns (oh, sweet irony) — the Panthers will have their best quarterback situation in a long time.
