The Carolina Panthers started Baker Mayfield in their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders on Saturday. But that was just for Saturday.
Following his team’s 23-21 win, head coach Matt Rhule took the podium to give his initial thoughts on the initial contest. And, of course, he’d be asked right off the top if he’s ready to name his starting quarterback for the regular season.
“No, that was for today,” Rhule said. “That was just for today. So we’ll go back and look at this tape. Obviously, Sam got us in the end zone. Baker led us down the field. Looked like both guys played well in terms of production. We’ll go back and look to see where they are. But that was just for today.”
Today, Mayfield made a solid first impression. The 27-year-old completed four of his seven throws for 45 yards, leading the Panthers to a 41-yard field goal on his lone series of the afternoon.
His competition in Sam Darnold would follow up with a positive showing of his own, as he found wide receiver Rashard Higgins for an 8-yard touchdown on the next possession. Darnold ended the outing having completed two of his three attempts for 16 yards.
Mayfield would later agree with Rhue’s sentiment, stating it was just his time to get the nod today.
“It was my turn to start,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, we got pretty much the same playing time. Just taking it one day at a time. That mentality hasn’t changed for me.”
We’ll see if anything else doesn’t change this week, Rhule’s mind included, with a pair of joint practices and a preseason matchup with the New England Patriots ahead.
