NFL: Baker Mayfield has circled a date on his calendar

Quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't bury himself in the media, saying he can't wait to play his former Cleveland Browns teammates.

NFL: Baker Mayfield has circled a date on his calendar

Quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't bury himself in the media, saying he can't wait to play his former Cleveland Browns teammates.

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The newcomer to the Carolina Panthers will have the opportunity to experience this reunion from the first meeting of the 2022 season, on September 11.

“I will not be a robot and tell you that this is not the date that I have circled on my calendar, he said Monday, his remarks were reported by the website of his club.

"It's not who I am. The most important thing for me is to win matches. No matter who we face, I will try to win. This match obviously has a little more history and a personal aspect. The important thing, however, is to win to set the tone for the rest of the year. No matter how I can help the team win, I'm going to do it."

Last week, the Browns traded Mayfield to the Panthers for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A bitter end

The 27-year-old center was the Cleveland club's opening round pick (first overall) in 2018 and served as a starter for four seasons. He lost his job, however, after the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.

“I try not to do that,” Mayfield replied when asked if he had a grudge against his former team.

“For me, it is above all a new beginning. I'm extremely grateful for the four years I spent in Cleveland, it's a great football city."

“There were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of things I learned, but at the end of the day I wanted a fresh start. I wanted to be with a coach and a general manager who really wanted me.

In competition

At the Panthers, Mayfield will compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job. This is what general manager Scott Fitterer said on Tuesday.

"The reason we added Baker was to make our group [of quarterbacks] better overall," the GM said. Our philosophy is to add competition, not just in the quarter room, but in every position.

In 14 games last year, Mayfield completed 60.5% of his passes for 3,010 yards, 17 majors and 13 interceptions. Darnold for his part maintained a success rate of 59.9%, amassed 2,527 yards, scored nine majors and committed 13 interceptions in 12 games.

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