Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield looks to be on the outs with his second team in the last year, and the New England Patriots are already being mentioned as a possible landing spot for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
No, thank you.
If there’s any sense left for the Patriots after having most of it beaten out of them by the Buffalo Bills, then this ridiculous pipe dream would be a hard pass for them.
Yes, we all remember the fascination the Patriots seemingly had with the thought of Mayfield supplanting Tom Brady as the franchise quarterback. But that was four years ago, when the book had yet to be written on the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft.
Sources: The #Panthers are expected to release QB Baker Mayfield. He'll hit waivers when it's finalized later today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 5, 2022
Mayfield has played enough pro football to know where his ceiling is at, and there’s more than enough data and statistics out there to back up the fact that he’s no savior. He had everything he could ever need with the Cleveland Browns and still couldn’t get the job done. A powerful offensive line, the best running back duo in football, a freakish tight end and a high-end receiving duo of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry—what more does one man need?
One thing is for certain: He isn’t getting anywhere near that level of offensive comfort in New England.
Just imagine present-day Mayfield thrown under center behind a banged-up Patriots offensive front with Matt Patricia calling the plays. Not even Freddy Krueger could outdo that nightmare.
Better yet, give me Freddy any day of the week over Mayfield lobbing six-yard passes to Jakobi Meyers while under pressure. “One, two—Freddy’s coming for you.”
Take me, Freddy.
The Patriots are just fine where they’re at right now with the quarterback situation. Mac Jones flashed franchise potential before Belichick allowed Patricia to muddy the offensive play-calling. If you’re not a Jones believer, then Bailey Zappe has played well enough to get some attention as well.
The Patriots already survived one quarterback controversy. They don’t need to spring another by bringing in a former starting quarterback from another team.
Brian Hoyer, who has been on injured reserve, is just fine as the third guy due to his extensive knowledge of the team and what they do. If the team needs an emergency Plan C option, they’d be better off plucking someone off the streets for cheaper than the $4.25 million it would take to claim Mayfield’s contract off waivers.
The Patriots have already messed up the 2022 season. Let’s not get a head start on ruining 2023 as well.
