Several years ago Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns made an embarrassment out of Sam Darnold and the New York Jets, now Baker Mayfield has taken Sam Darnold’s job. Earlier today it was announced that the Cleveland Browns have traded Quarterback Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick. Mayfield came into the spotlight red hot and made the Browns a playoff contender in in 2020 where he brought the team to a 11-5 record, but that was the highest Mayfield could go as the Browns sunk back to a crapmocacy in 2021 with a 6-8 record. Many suspected a trade to occur this NFL offseason that would ship Mayfield out of Cleveland and now just weeks before the 2022 NFL preseason, that trade has occurred.
So with Mayfield going to the Panthers that will most likely knock Sam Darnold out to the QB2 slot as Mayfield would become the projected starter. Sam Darnold was in the same draft class as Baker back in 2018, but his career has been a truly opposite story as injuries and interceptions have taken over the Darnold name. In Sam Darnold’s four year NFL career he has not played a single full season due to injuries, when on the field (50-games total) Sam Darnold has thrown for 52 interceptions. Darnold started off as a New York Jet, but was traded for three draft picks to the Panthers after three seasons in New York. Last season Darnold brought the team to a 4-7 record, missing almost half of the season due to injuries.
Sam Darnold has a chance to keep his starting job, but he will have to contend with Mayfield heavily this preseason.