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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Dylan Sanders

Panthers name Baker Mayfield their starting QB, will face Saints in Week 3

The Carolina Panthers have finally come to the conclusion that many people have expected for a while now, and named Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback. The starting quarterbacks of the NFC South are now set with Mayfield in Carolina, Marcus Mariota leading the Atlanta Falcons, Jameis Winston quarterback the New Orleans Saints, and Tom Brady returning from another hiatus with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mayfield has achieved career record of 29-30 after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, months after Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy during his senior year at Oklahoma. In Cleveland Mayfield threw for 14,125 yards with a 92-to-56 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio.

The Panthers traded a conditional 2024 draft pick to the Browns for Mayfield at the beginning of July after acquiring Deshaun Watson earlier in the offseason. If Mayfield plays 70% or more of Carolina’s snaps it will be a fourth round pick, if not it revert to a fifth round pick. Rookie third rounder Matt Corral was lost to a season-ending Lisfranc injury, meaning his backups are Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker.

The New Orleans Saints will play the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in Week 3 on Sunday, Sept. 25. Mayfield has never played the Saints, as the last time the Saints and Browns faced off was Week 2 back in 2018. Mayfield didn’t play as a rookie until Week 3 when Tyrod Taylor got injured against the New York Jets, and he held the job until Cleveland traded him earlier this summer. We’ll see if he holds it down until the Panthers close out the regular season in New Orleans in Week 18.

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