Carolina Panthers

Even after an 0-2 start for the Carolina Panthers, head coach Matt Rhule reportedly isn't on the hot seat.

"Sources informed of the Panthers' thinking say no change is imminent for Rhule, with Panthers owner David Tepper planning to be patient rather than reactionary," Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported. "But wins must come and improvement must be evident."

According to Rapoport, the Panthers' leadership sees the locker room believing in Rhule with clear fight and effort displayed on the field.

This comes despite Rhule falling to 10-25 in his third season with the Panthers after signing a seven-year deal with the team in 2020.

After earning just five wins in each of the first two seasons, Rhule has few excuses after a poor start to 2022. The organization acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield to help improve the offense, but the unit ranks just 29th in total yards this year.

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reported it's "increasingly difficult to fathom" Rhule remains with the team much longer. Multiple coaching agents expect the Panthers job to be the first one open this year.

Rhule told reporters after the last game the Panthers are "close" and that they are trying to "get over that last hump."

Some players have also come to his defense, including receiver Robby Anderson.

"I'm playing this game for Coach Rhule more than anything," Anderson said of the team's Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

It's enough for the Panthers to keep the current course, with Rapoport noting that "it would take an epic collapse or a horribly embarrassing outcome" to make a change.

With just two wins in the last 14 games, Rhule still must find a way to turn things around in Carolina.

The Carolina Panthers named Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback over Sam Darnold this summer, but the franchise finds itself in an 0-2 hole entering a Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

When asked to assess his performance while meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Mayfield said that he has "not been good enough," via ESPN's David Newton.

He added: "I only care about winning, no matter what my stats are. I haven’t taken care of the ball well enough. That’s pretty much the only stat I care about."

"I've got to command this group better. I have to lead better, I have to make sure everybody's on the same page to where we are executing at a much higher level," Mayfield said. "That's the biggest disappointment for me is that hasn't shown yet. So I take full ownership for that as an offense."

The Panthers acquired Mayfield in a trade with the Cleveland Browns in hopes he would be able to help the franchise turn things around. However, he's struggled mightily in his first two games under center, and he's making many of the same mistakes he did in Cleveland.

The 27-year-old has taken unnecessary risks, fumbled five times and has struggled to connect with wide-open receivers—former Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. knows a little about that.

In addition, he has completed just 53.6 percent of his passes, which ranks 34th in the NFL, for 380 yards and two touchdowns against one interception in two games. His 190 passing yards per game ranks 26th in the league and his 6.8 yards per attempt ranks 19th, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

In addition to Mayfield's struggles, the offense as a whole has struggled to find consistency, and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is also receiving some of the blame for that.

For instance, there's a big problem when D.J. Moore, who signed a lucrative three-year extension during the offseason, and second-year receiver Shi Smith are being targeted the same amount of times in a game, as they were in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants.

It's also a problem when both players received more targets than dual-threat running back Christian McCaffrey.

So, while Mayfield needs to undoubtedly up his game, it seems the Panthers offense as a whole also needs to figure things out in order to get into a rhythm.

Christian McCaffrey is flirting with injury again. But this one doesn't appear likely to cost him playing time.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the superstar running back is dealing with a bum ankle but expected to play this week:

RB Christian McCaffrey showed up on the injury report. He was limited with stiffness in his ankle. Team said he should play Sunday against the Saints.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 22, 2022

McCaffrey isn't sweating the injury:

Christian McCaffrey: “I think at this point if I went to take a leak during practice, I’d end up on the (injury) report.”

Which is to say, he expects to play Sunday despite the ankle stiffness.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 22, 2022

The 26-year-old has seen each of his previous two seasons impacted by injury. In 2020, he played in just three games while dealing with a high-ankle sprain and shoulder issue. And he missed 10 games last season with an ankle problem that cut his campaign short.

It's been a major disappointment for a player who emerged as the NFL's most dynamic offensive playmaker in 2019, rushing for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 116 catches for 1,005 yards and another four scores.

When healthy, McCaffrey is the complete offensive weapon, and the Panthers rewarded him with a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2020. Since signing, though, he's only played in 10 of a possible 33 games.

In turn, the Panthers have only won five games in each of the past two years.

If McCaffrey is forced to miss time at some point, look for Chuba Hubbard or D'Onta Foreman to step into the starting role. Hubbard was serviceable in McCaffrey's absence last season, rushing for 514 yards and four touchdowns in 10 starts.

Baker Mayfield isn't letting one game define his first season with the Carolina Panthers.

While he told reporters he would have loved to defeat his former team in the season opener after a 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, he also pointed out that, "despite people making this out to be the Super Bowl, we have 16 more games."

He continued, saying, "that's not the culture we have and it's not what they built here prior to me getting here," when discussing how he believed the Panthers beat themselves. "And that's not what I'm ever going to accept."

Mayfield going up against his former team was one of the biggest storylines in the entire league heading into Week 1.

After all, Cleveland made him the franchise quarterback when it selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. What followed was four years of up-and-down play where he looked like that franchise signal-caller at times and struggled with turnover issues at others.

It was more of the same in his first game with the Panthers.

He seemed well on his way to a terrible game as his team fell behind 20-7 through three quarters but rallied in the fourth with a rushing touchdown and 75-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson. He also led the Panthers into range for Eddy Pineiro's go-ahead field goal in the final two minutes.

However, Cleveland responded with Cade York's 58-yarder with eight seconds remaining to escape with the win.

York made all four of his field-goal attempts and was the hero in a game where the focus was on the quarterbacks. Jacoby Brissett, who is playing for the suspended Deshaun Watson, went 18-of-34 passing for 147 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.

While Mayfield missed an opportunity to make his team pay for trading him to the Panthers and focusing on Watson, attention now turns to a winnable matchup with the New York Giants in Week 2.

The Carolina Panthers announced Baker Mayfield will be one of their team captains for the 2022 NFL season.

Oh Captain, Our Captains pic.twitter.com/2P1lhvtYp3

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 8, 2022

Mayfield is approaching his first year in Carolina following a trade from the Cleveland Browns. In late August, head coach Matt Rhule named him the starting quarterback for Week 1 ahead of Sam Darnold.

Darnold subsequently suffered a high-ankle sprain that forced him to go on injured reserve. That removed any lingering doubt about who will run the offense for at least the first four games.

Because his trade to the Panthers didn't happen until early July, Mayfield didn't have much time to get acclimated to his new surroundings.

Rhule told reporters on Aug. 9 he was happy with the veteran signal-caller's performance in practice.

"He's definitely improving," the coach said. "He gets more and more of a feel of what he can do at the line of scrimmage. What he's done in 10 days is pretty impressive—or 10, 11 practices. He's making really good jumps."

Mayfield will be carrying a massive chip on his shoulder after the Browns made their opinion of him very clear when they acquired Deshaun Watson. He's also due to become a free agent in 2023, so his future earnings will hinge on what he does on the field this season.

There's no question the 27-year-old regressed in a big way in 2021. He finished with 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and his 40.9 QBR ranked 27th, per ESPN.

Mayfield also battled shoulder trouble throughout the year before finally undergoing surgery.

Between making him the starter and assigning him captain duties, Rhule and the Panthers are guaranteeing the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner will at least have the platform he needs to silence his skeptics.

Quarterback Cam Newton is likely still a free agent because he wants to start.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Newton "has gotten zero sniffs" leading up to the season, and it is likely because teams "know" he wants to be a starter and play regularly.

Newton, 33, is an 11-year NFL veteran who has spent 10 seasons with the Carolina Panthers and one with the New England Patriots in 2020.

He's a three-time Pro Bowler and won league MVP during his first-team All-Pro 2015 season when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl berth.

Injuries have largely derailed him since then, as he has posted a losing record as a starter in five of the past six seasons.

After being limited to just two games in 2019, Newton was released by the Panthers, and he signed with the Patriots as the replacement for Tom Brady.

Newton went 7-8 as the starter in 2020, and he threw just eight touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions, though he did rush for 592 yards and 12 scores.

He was released prior to the 2021 season when the Pats decided to go with rookie first-round pick Mac Jones as the starter, and after initially going unsigned, he eventually returned to Carolina.

Starting five of the eight games he appeared in for the Panthers, Newton posted an 0-5 record and completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 684 yards, four touchdowns and five picks while rushing for 230 yards and five touchdowns.

His passing has taken a huge hit in recent years, but he still has value in short-yardage and red-zone situations, especially as a runner.

Also, his experience would seemingly make him a solid insurance policy as a backup, but Newton has only come off the bench four times in 148 career regular-season games, which may be why a backup role would be a tough sell for the 2011 No. 1 overall pick.

With the 2022 season set to start Thursday night when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills, there is no indication that Newton will have an NFL job, although that could change with one injury.

The injuries continue to pile up for Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold.

Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, the 25-year-old was carted off the field during Friday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided an update:

#Panthers QB Sam Darnold is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain based on the initial evaluation, sources say. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity and if there is other damage.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2022

After spending last season as Carolina's starter, Darnold is expected to be on the bench as the No. 2 quarterback behind Baker Mayfield this year.

Darnold missed five games last season with a shoulder injury he suffered against the New England Patriots on Nov. 7. The Panthers placed him on injured reserve five days later and he was expected to miss at least four weeks.

The Panthers are in a potential transition phase this season, though head coach Matt Rhule is under the microscope to win now that he's in his third year.

Darnold only completed 59.9 percent of his attempts for 2,527 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 appearances during his first year with Carolina.

Carolina did add Matt Corral in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, but he has already been ruled out for the season with a foot injury.

Darnold is in the final season of his rookie contract. He spent the first three years of his career with the New York Jets before being traded to Carolina in April 2021.

Until Darnold is able to return, Rhule will likely turn to PJ Walker as the backup quarterback.

The Carolina Panthers' decision to name Baker Mayfield their starting quarterback is the equivalent of walking into a classroom completely unprepared for a test.

Mayfield could end up being the correct answer under center for the Panthers even though they didn't take the proper steps to get it right. He also might turn out to be the wrong answer, which will leave them scrambling to make up for it later.

Mayfield essentially became the Panthers' fallback option this offseason after the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson. A last resort might be all Mayfield ever is for them since their current setup isn't necessarily conducive to winning right away.

In December, Panthers owner David Tepper discussed the importance of finding a long-term answer under center, per the Charlotte Observer's Alaina Getzenberg:

"I think when you get to quarterbacks and NFL in general, you always want to try to figure out, do you have the best that’s in the position of this right now? And that’s constant evaluation and re-evaluation of that. And that’s what we’ll constantly go through."

"It's an ongoing process and it’s a question of who can be that guy that can help you win. That’s the most important position on the field. … Unless you have that guy for sure that gets you to playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep reevaluating that because that’s the only thing that matters is Super Bowls. And until you have that guy, you’re evaluating, evaluating, evaluating every year."

Last year, the Panthers failed to swing a deal for Matthew Stafford. This offseason, they "had discussions" with the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, but nothing materialized. Their interest in Watson dated back to last season, but the Browns wound up acquiring him instead. Matt Ryan was never a realistic option because the Atlanta Falcons weren't likely to trade him within the division.

Mayfield became the best remaining available option, and the Panthers didn't have to spend much to acquire him. They sent a conditional 2024 fifth-round draft pick to Cleveland while taking on only $4.85 million of Mayfield's fifth-year option, per ESPN's Jake Trotter.

Mayfield will be an upgrade under center for Carolina. He has been inconsistent throughout his four-year career, but he's shown more than Sam Darnold during that span.

That doesn't necessarily mean he's the Panthers' long-term solution, though.

Sports Illustrated''s Albert Breer reported 18 months ago that Tepper was "obsessed" with finding a long-term solution, but he didn't immediately jump on the opportunity to acquire Mayfield. Instead, Tepper reportedly viewed the 27-year-old as a "depressed asset," according to Person and Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

That seems like a good starting point for a long, fruitful relationship, no?

The NFL's richest owner isn't used to failure and shows little patience. Just look at his other business dealings to understand his tolerance level. His company paused construction and then terminated an agreement to build a new practice facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina, as the two sides squabbled over payment schedule. He fired the head coach of his MLS franchise, Charlotte FC, only 14 games into the franchise's inaugural season.

What's going to happen if the Panthers don't emerge as a playoff team and surprise Super Bowl contender this season? Turnover is the most likely answer.

Head coach Matt Rhule has gone 10-23 over the past two seasons. He didn't turn around Temple or Baylor until his third season with each program, so Tepper probably expects the same with the Panthers.

If Carolina struggles again, Rhule could be gone after this season. A rumor already popped up this offseason that Tepper is "eyeing" Sean Payton as a potential replacement for him, according to Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy.

Carolina is talented and capable of continued improvement. But the roster still has plenty of question marks, too.

After two injury-plagued seasons, will running back Christian McCaffrey stay healthy? Can wide receiver D.J. Moore build upon the career-high 93 catches he hauled in last season? Robbie Anderson can still be a vertical threat, but he initially wasn't thrilled about the idea of playing with Mayfield. Rashard Higgins already developed a strong rapport with Mayfield during their time together with the Browns, but he has never caught more than 39 passes in a season. Carolina fields one of the league's best young defenses, but leading sack-artist Haason Reddick and starting defensive tackle Daquan Jones left in free agency.

The offensive line may be the biggest hang-up for any hope of success.

Right tackle Taylor Moton agreed to a long-term contract extension last summer. The Panthers signed guard Austin Corbett and center Bradley Bozeman in free agency and drafted Ikem Ekwonu with this year's sixth overall pick.

The left side is the potential problem area. Uncertainty remains at left guard, and Ekwonu will need time to develop after being named the starting left tackle. Protection could be a significant issue all season if the line doesn't come together quickly.

Mayfield's performance will play a significant role, too. And the Panthers aren't setting the bar too high for him.

“We’re hoping that he moves the offense,” Rhule told reporters Monday. “I don’t want to make it too simple. But I think he’s a guy that’s accurate. He’s a guy that’s smart, plays fast. He knows where to go with the ball. He’s still adjusting to our mechanics, our footwork. So I think making this move now gives him time to really settle in with some guys.”

According to Breer, Mayfield gained the upper hand over Darnold because of his "processing, timing and field vision."

Those traits were exactly what Mayfield lacked during most of his tenure in Cleveland, particularly last season. His pocket presence completely vanished whenever he was pressured, which could be a significant issue based on the Panthers' current offensive line. He looked shell-shocked at times. His game is predicated on being a distributor; he isn't going to take over games by himself.

At times, Mayfield looked like a future franchise quarterback. He set a then-rookie record with 27 touchdown passes. The confidence, pocket movement and natural arm talent he displayed helped turn around a previously winless squad.

When Mayfield is working in rhythm and within the confines of the offensive scheme, he can be deadly accurate. He's often let down by his footwork and mechanics once defenses speed up his clock, though.

His second season in Cleveland proved to be a disaster with an incompetent staff leading the way, and the Browns went in another direction that offseason. The 2020 campaign showed how Mayfield could help lead a team into the playoffs, and he finished among the top 10 leaguewide in QBR. Everything fell apart last season when he suffered multiple injuries, missed reads, airmailed passes and never looked like the player everyone saw upon his arrival in Cleveland.

Tepper might have been onto something when he viewed Mayfield as a depressed asset. Damaged goods could be another way to describe a player with such an up-and-down performance through four seasons. Cleveland had every right to pursue an upgrade at the position.

Conversely, Mayfield's potential makes him a low-risk/high-reward investment, especially since he's showed more than anyone else currently on the roster.

“To be honest with you, I feel extremely healthy. So I’m ready to go," Mayfield told reporters. "I’m loving football again. A fresh start is great for everyone every once in a while.”

It's fair to wonder how long of a leash Mayfield will have this season. He's heading into the final year of his rookie contract. The Panthers aren't committed to him beyond this season. Had third-round rookie Matt Corral not suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury, he might have played later this season if Carolina fell out of the playoff race, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Mayfield will help determine the direction of the Panthers organization this season. If he makes the grade, all will be moot. But there's a real chance of the entire setup backfiring, which would once again leave the Panthers scrambling for answers at the game's most important position.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral's rookie season is officially over before it started.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Panthers placed Corral on the season-ending injured reserve after he suffered a Lisfranc injury. The team also placed cornerback Duke Dawson on IR ahead of Friday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Corral suffered the injury against the New England Patriots during Carolina's second preseason game of the year. A player stepped on his foot in the fourth quarter, and he was seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot, per David Newton of ESPN.

"I would assume it would be a while; I would assume it would be a significant amount of time," head coach Matt Rhule said after the injury. "I'm pretty sure it will be a long-term injury.''

Corral struggled in the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, going just 1-of-9 passing, but he made progress against the Patriots prior to the injury, completing nine of 15 attempts for 58 yards.

He threw for more than 3,300 yards in each of his final two years at Ole Miss and led the program to a 10-3 record and Sugar Bowl appearance last season. He decided to play the game instead of sitting out to prepare for the draft and suffered an ankle injury.

That didn't stop the Panthers from selecting him with a third-round pick, and he likely would have been the team's third quarterback this season behind Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.

That job will likely go to PJ Walker now.

Walker, who is a former XFL star, is 2-0 as a starter for the Panthers during the past two seasons.

The Carolina Panthers have a new starting quarterback.

Baker Mayfield was named the team's starting quarterback for a Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium.

Confirmed ✅

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 22, 2022

Head coach Matt Rhule explained his decision Monday.

"When we started this process, we were looking at three things," Rhule said. "Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That's been our focus all along.

"Baker has made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth in all three areas in a short amount of time."

Mayfield beat out Sam Darnold for Carolina's starting quarterback job in training camp. Both quarterbacks were given an ample amount of time to compete for the job before a decision was made.

That being said, the decision comes as no surprise as The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported on Aug. 17 that the team was expected to name Mayfield the starter.

The Panthers acquired Mayfield from the Browns on June 6 in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024. His addition made Carolina's quarterback room even deeper with both Darnold and 2022 draft pick Matt Corral on the roster.

It's no surprise the Panthers felt more comfortable with Mayfield as their starting quarterback for Week 1.

The Panthers acquired Darnold from the New York Jets ahead of the 2021 campaign in hopes he would be able to revive his career in Carolina. However, he did anything but that last season.

Darnold only appeared in 12 games because of a shoulder injury, but he didn't show any signs of improvement in those games. He went 4-8 and completed just 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

For comparison, Mayfield appeared in 14 games for the Browns last season, playing with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, and played better than Darnold. He completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Mayfield, while inconsistent, is also more proven than Darnold, having led the Browns to the postseason during the 2020 campaign. In addition, he has thrown for more than 3,000 yards in each of his four NFL seasons, while Darnold has only accomplished the feat once.

That said, there's always the possibility that Darnold could start games this season. If Mayfield doesn't live up to expectations or suffers an injury, the former Jet will get the chance to show Matt Rhule what he's got.