Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is still in limbo as he waits for a resolution to his trade request. 

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns "have no plans" to cut Mayfield even if he's still on the roster when training camp opens in July. 

Cabot also noted that the Carolina Panthers, who have often been linked to Mayfield, don't have an "organizational consensus" on the 2018 No. 1 overall pick as they decide whether to trade for him.

When the Browns were in discussions about trading for Deshaun Watson, Mayfield told ESPN's Adam Schefter he formally requested a trade. 

"It's in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on," Mayfield said. "The relationship is too far gone to mend. It's in the best interests of both sides to move on."

Cabot reported on March 17 that the Browns told Mayfield's agent they would not be accommodating his trade request. At that point, Schefter noted the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints were believed to be the finalists for Watson. 

Three days later, the Browns announced they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans. The team also signed Jacoby Brissett on March 25. 

Despite having Watson and Brissett under contract, the Browns have held on to Mayfield in hopes they'll be able to get something for him. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted shortly after the deal for Watson that Cleveland still wanted a first-round draft pick for Mayfield. 

Per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers and Browns had trade talks during the NFL draft that fell apart because Carolina wanted Cleveland to pay $13-14 million of Mayfield's 2022 salary. 

Sam Darnold is currently projected to be Carolina's starting quarterback in 2022. It also selected Matt Corral with the No. 94 overall pick in April's draft. 

The Seattle Seahawks are another team that's been linked to Mayfield, though it doesn't sound like they are interested in trading for him. Cabot noted Seattle "would sign" Mayfield as a free agent if the Browns were to release him. 

Mayfield, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is owed $18.9 million this season. 

In January, Mayfield announced he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He originally suffered the injury during a Week 2 game against the Texans last season. 

The 27-year-old has had an inconsistent start to his NFL career. He has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first four seasons but had a career-low 17 touchdown passes in 14 starts in 2021.      

Despite his struggles in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers, Sam Darnold still believes in his potential in the NFL.

"I'm confident I can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Darnold told reporters Tuesday.

The quarterback specifically noted his footwork needs to improve after last season, per David Newton of ESPN.

Darnold was traded to the Panthers in April 2021 after spending his first three years with the New York Jets, but his production didn't improve. He finished with just nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 appearances (11 starts). He had a 71.9 quarterback rating, while his 33.2 QBR ranked 29th of 31 qualified players. 

There were high expectations after a hot 3-1 start that featured five passing and five rushing touchdowns, but Darnold contributed just four touchdowns in his final eight appearances. The Panthers won just one of those games on the way to a 5-12 finish.

Despite some flashes of solid play during his four-year career, the 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick has mostly struggled with the Panthers and Jets while producing just a 76.9 passer rating.

The 24-year-old will still have more chances to prove himself after the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie deal prior to the 2021 campaign. Darnold will receive a guaranteed $18.9 million salary for 2022, which should be enough to keep him on the roster.

The Panthers selected Matt Corral in the third round of April's draft, but he might not be ready to play in Week 1. Head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said Darnold would be the starter heading into training camp, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer.

"Sam does have some magic in his game," McAdoo said last month.

Darnold will hope to finally reach expectations in 2022, although it's clear he is not lacking confidence heading into his fifth NFL season.     

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey played three games during the 2020 season and seven games during the 2021 campaign, so the team is focused on keeping him healthy heading into 2022.

Head coach Matt Rhule told reporters the plan is to hold McCaffrey out of preseason games and take a "different approach with him" at practice.

The Stanford product is also doing what he can to stay healthy and said he reached out to different running backs, including Marshall Faulk, to ask advice on how to stay on the field.

McCaffrey played three games in September last season and then was sidelined until November. He also missed the entire month of December and finished with 442 rushing yards, 343 receiving yards and two total touchdowns in his seven games.

It was a far cry from when he was arguably the top player in the league in 2019 with 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns.

That performance as both a runner and a pass-catcher made him a fantasy football darling and presumably the focus of the Panthers offense for the foreseeable future since he is still just 25 years old, but injuries have prevented him from building on that.

Carolina has also finished in third or fourth place in the NFC South in each of the last four years, so it will need McCaffrey healthy and playing at his best if it is going to compete with the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints in the division.

He is all the more important since Sam Darnold comes with his own performance-related question marks under center.

Darnold is not exactly a future Hall of Famer who can carry the offense with his consistent arm, so McCaffrey's presence will force defenders into the box and ideally help open up the aerial attack with D.J. Moore running free downfield. 

If that is able to happen, holding McCaffrey out of preseason games will be well worth it.      

The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks reportedly "still haven't ruled out" a trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield before the 2022 NFL season.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Friday the situation has been stuck in a "holding pattern" while the Panthers and Seahawks wait to see whether the Browns become more willing to retain a "much greater portion" of Mayfield's $18.9 million salary than offered so far.

Cleveland put itself in a difficult position in March when it completed a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans to acquire Deshaun Watson without finding a new home for Mayfield.

The Browns also signed Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs to fill the reserve roles, and they added undrafted rookie Felix Harper as a developmental option after his strong showing during the team's recent minicamp.

So interested teams realize Cleveland would prefer not to pay a backup in a crowded QB room nearly $19 million, and they're trying to leverage that into the Browns eating a sizable portion of that amount.

The contract's structure also doesn't help because the Browns would receive no salary-cap relief if Mayfield is released, but every dollar not retained in a trade would represent savings under the cap, which is why the trade route is strongly preferred.

Cleveland isn't against retaining some salary, but it wants the "contractual intake to be commensurate with the asset they receive in return," per Howe. In other words, if it keeps more money in the deal it wants a better return, likely in the form of a higher draft pick.

Both the Panthers and Seahawks could benefit from an upgrade at quarterback for 2022.

Carolina drafted Matt Corral in the third round last month, but he's coming out of a mostly single-read offense at Ole Miss. A year on the sideline learning to read NFL defenses and adjusting to multiple-read offensive concepts would aid his development.

In turn, the Panthers could be staring down another year of Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker, who combined to throw 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season.

Seattle is heading toward a quarterback competition between Drew Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Eason. It's unlikely any of them are the long-term answer following the departure of Russell Wilson.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll downplayed the idea of the team making a deal for another QB, though.

"I don't see us making a trade for anybody at all. I don't see that happening," Carroll told reporters in early May. "But we're certainly going to continue to be open to chances to help our club, and meanwhile we're just going to be battling and competing our tails off. There's always possibilities, so we keep open to that."

There aren't any other obvious potential trade partners for Cleveland, and the San Francisco 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo is another veteran signal-caller who could be on the move before the season gets underway in September, which crowds the market.

So the Browns may have no choice beyond keeping a significant portion of Mayfield's salary if they want to get a deal done.

The Carolina Panthers may reportedly give rookie quarterback Matt Corral a chance to win the starting job if they're unable to find a new veteran QB before training camp.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter that Sam Darnold remains the favorite to start for the Panthers but highlighted how it's still a fluid situation:

The door is open slightly for [Corral] to potentially take the job because the Panthers are still essentially looking for veteran quarterback help. They would like somebody else—that's why the Baker Mayfield situation, Jimmy Garoppolo might not be completely dead at this point. And so it certainly seems [Darnold] is the favorite to start. They know Matt Corral is a bit of a project, a little like Malik Willis, because of the offense he came from in Ole Miss. He's going to need some time to learn the nuances of the NFL game, but they love the talent. So, he could at least make this interesting for sure.

Carolina was heavily linked to Mayfield leading up to the 2022 NFL draft last month, but the sides couldn't reach an agreement. The front office proceeded to select Corral in the third round to join Darnold and P.J. Walker.

The Browns have continued to struggle finding a trade partner for Mayfield, who's set to make $18.9 million in 2022, after they acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.

Cleveland is likely to drop its asking price and be willing to pay a large portion of Mayfield's contract as training camp draws near, which could bring him back into play for the Panthers.

CBS Sports' Josina Anderson reported the "door isn't 100 percent shut" on those talks, but Carolina is in no hurry to get something done.

If nothing ever materializes on that front, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Corral given at least the opportunity to compete for the top spot on the depth chart in camp.

The Ole Miss product is coming off a promising final year with the Rebels. He completed 67.9 percent of his throws for 3,349 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 633 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.

While that dual-threat playmaking ability is exactly what teams are seeking at the position in the modern game, Corral is set to face a learning curve when it comes to reading defenses after a lot of single-read throws at Ole Miss.

The signal-caller said sliding to the third round provided some extra motivation.

"I mean, I had a chip on my shoulder before. But it just got even bigger," Corral told reporters Friday. "[Draft night] was for sure, a roller coaster. It was a bunch of mixed emotions. When I got that phone call, I have truly never been happy and sad at the same time. I've never felt that before."

Meanwhile, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Darnold is the "No. 1 guy right now" but left a path for that to change.

"We're bringing in Matt Corral. P.J. Walker's already here. We'll see how it goes," Fitterer said. "He's in the lead right now, but until someone really owns that position, gives us an opportunity to win, it will always be up for grabs."

All told, the Panthers could still go a wide variety of different directions at the sport's most important position. Even if Corral doesn't win the job out of camp, he's a strong bet to make at least a few starts as a rookie so the team can judge his progress.

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly still open to acquiring Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo despite drafting Matt Corral.

"The door is open slightly for [Matt Corral] to potentially take the job because the Panthers are still essentially looking for veteran quarterback help," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. "They would like somebody else; that's why the Baker Mayfield situation, Jimmy Garoppolo might not be completely dead at this point. And so it certainly seems [Sam Darnold] is the favorite to start. They know Matt Corral is a bit of a project, a little like Malik Willis, because of the offense he came from in Ole Miss. He's going to need some time to learn the nuances of the NFL game, but they love the talent. So, he could at least make this interesting for sure."

The Panthers were regularly mentioned as suitors for Mayfield and Garoppolo heading into the draft, but both players went untraded over draft weekend. Carolina used a third-round pick on Corral, who is expected to compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job. 

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

“Sam is the number one guy right now. He has every opportunity to take it and run with it. We hope he does well. We’ve seen improvement already under [offensive coordinator] Ben McAdoo. He’s working hard, he’s throwing the ball well. He’s just got to take it and run with it. He’s got to own the position. The one thing we’re looking to do is stabilize the position. It’s been up and down, up and down.

We’re bringing in Matt Corral. P.J. Walker‘s already here. We’ll see how it goes. He’s in the lead right now, but until someone really owns that position, gives us an opportunity to win, it will always be up for grabs.”

Darnold has struggled mightily over the course of his four-year career and did not show any marked signs of improvement last season in Carolina. He threw for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions, marking the second straight year he's thrown more picks than touchdowns.

While neither Mayfield nor Garoppolo are considered elite options, they would be a massive upgrade over Darnold in nearly every respect. With coach Matt Rhule entering the 2022 season on the hot seat, it may be advisable for the Panthers to push their chips in and acquire a veteran who can make them more competitive. 

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral told reporters that he has more motivation after the potential first-round pick fell to No. 94 overall in this year's draft.

"I mean, I had a chip on my shoulder before. But it just got even bigger," Corral said Friday at the Panthers' rookie minicamp, per Coral Smith of NFL.com.

"[Draft night] was for sure, a roller coaster. It was a bunch of mixed emotions. When I got that phone call, I have truly never been happy and sad at the same time. I've never felt that before."

The former Ole Miss star completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns (five interceptions) and 3,349 yards alongside 614 rushing yards and 11 more scores for a 10-3 Ole Miss team that played in the Sugar Bowl.

Corral's slide was surprising given most predraft expectations. The Athletic consensus big board placed him 44th overall, and the NFL Mock Draft Database had him at No. 39.

Those rankings imply a second-round grade, but Corral was in danger of falling out of the third round.

Then again, NFL teams didn't appear to be big fans of the quarterback class this year. Pitt's Kenny Pickett went No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but no other signal-caller went until Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder came off the board at No. 74 to the Atlanta Falcons.

Other quarterbacks who slid include Liberty's Malik Willis (No. 86, Tennessee Titans) and Sam Howell (No. 144, Washington Commanders).

Although Corral may have been disappointed in the slide, he landed in a great spot in Carolina. The Panthers have been playing quarterback roulette for the past few years since the end of the Cam Newton era, and the door is open for Corral to be the long-term signal-caller in Carolina with the Panthers seemingly ready to move on from Sam Darnold.

For now, Corral is getting ready for his first professional season, which will begin Sept. 11 against the Cleveland Browns.

The Carolina Panthers appear to have no interest in bringing in Sean Payton despite a recent report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports saying the franchise was "eyeing" the former New Orleans Saints head coach. 

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Friday that team owner David Tepper called him to say the reported interest in Payton isn't true. 

Payton retired as head coach of the Saints after the 2021 season. He spent 16 seasons with the franchise, going 152-89 in the regular season and 9-8 in the playoffs, including a Super Bowl title following the 2009 campaign. 

After stepping away from coaching, the 58-year-old is set to be a studio analyst for Fox Sports during the 2022 season. However, he hasn't ruled out an eventual return to the sideline.

"I still have a vision for doing things in football, and I'll be honest with ya, that might be coaching again at some point," Payton told reporters in January. “I don't think it's this year. I think maybe in the future, but that's not where my heart is right now. It's not at all."

McCarthy's report said Carolina "might be willing to wait a year" to land Payton. However, he is still under contract with the Saints through 2024, and a Panthers spokesperson told McCarthy the Panthers "would not talk to—or consider—a coach who’s under contract with another team."

Carolina will enter the 2022 season with Rhule as its head coach. It will be the 47-year-old's third season on the sideline, and he'll be hoping to improve upon his first two seasons in which he went just 10-23.

Tepper also told reporters last month that Rhule has his full support: 

Well, I am a fan. I don't like to lose. Who likes to lose? I want to win. But it takes time and it takes a foundation to win. I do believe Coach Rhule and Scott [Fitterer] are doing a great job creating that foundation. I think we have made improvements in the coaching staff. I think we have done a good job during free agency to fill holes. I'm fairly optimistic about the new season.

If the Panthers don't show any signs of improvement in 2022, then maybe Tepper and the team's front office will consider a coaching change. For now, fans should just wait and see what happens. 

It's unclear what the future holds for free-agent quarterback Cam Newton. However, a return to the Carolina Panthers doesn't appear to have been ruled out. 

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio that the two sides are communicating and that head coach Matt Rhule has also spoken with the veteran:

I think we're still having thoughts. We have to see how this works out here throughout the spring. I just happened to be up at the [Kentucky] Derby last weekend and Cam was up there. We're texting a little bit. The lines of communication are open. I know Coach Rhule has spoken with him. We are going to have a discussion at some point but we're just not quite there yet, but we'll see how it goes. The more competition we have at that position the better.

Rhule also left the door open for Newton to return in March, telling reporters, "He's an amazing leader. He's an amazing football player. Everything we do has to be right for the organization, right for him."

At the time, Newton told ESPN's Adam Schefter via text message that he had teams interested in signing him and that he was waiting for the best fit "as it pertains to winning a championship and getting a fair chance to play."

Newton signed a one-year deal to return to the Panthers in November 2021 after being released by the New England Patriots. His return to North Carolina was sparked by a shoulder injury to Sam Darnold, who was placed on injured reserve in November before returning for a Week 16 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December. 

The 33-year-old appeared in eight games and went 0-5 in five starts. He completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 684 yards and four touchdowns against five interceptions in those games. He also rushed for 230 yards and five scores. 

Newton has significantly regressed as a passer since undergoing shoulder surgery in January 2019 during his first stint with the Panthers, and his opportunity to be a starter in the NFL seems slim at this point. 

In 15 games with the Patriots in 2020, all as a starter, he completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He attempted just 368 passes, the lowest of his career in seasons where he played at least 14 games. 

For comparison, he completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games during the 2018 season. He attempted 471 passes.

While there's always a possibility Newton returns to the Panthers in 2022, the franchise already has Darnold, Phillip Walker and rookie Matt Corral on the roster, meaning his chances are probably pretty slim.

In addition, the Panthers have not closed the door on acquiring Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. If they're able to swing a deal, Newton's chances of suiting up for Carolina would likely be slim to none. 

Prior to the 2022 NFL draft, many had speculated that the Carolina Panthers would be a viable landing spot for disgruntled Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com reported Sunday that despite the two teams entering into negotiations, those talks didn't get very far before coming to an end.

"They didn't come close to a deal," Pluto wrote. "That's what I heard from a high-placed NFL source about the Browns' trade talks with Carolina concerning QB Baker Mayfield that collapsed Friday."

The Panthers already have a starting quarterback in place in Sam Darnold, who was selected two picks after Mayfield in the 2018 draft. Carolina also secured its quarterback of the future by using a third-round pick to draft former Ole Miss signal-caller Matt Corral.

Mayfield is trying to force his way out of Cleveland after the Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans this offseason. Cleveland gave Watson a historic five-year contract extension worth $230 million, which is fully guaranteed.

Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, sat out the entire 2021 season amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. While he will not face criminal charges, Watson still has 22 active civil lawsuits against him. It is not yet clear if he will face any discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

A roadblock for a potential trade involving Mayfield is his guaranteed $18.9 million salary for the 2022 season. While every team in the league knows Cleveland is looking to unload the former No. 1 overall pick, it's unlikely that any franchise will want to part ways with assets to take on such a significant cap hit.

Mayfield, who is recovering from offseason surgery to address a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, is known for being extremely confident in his abilities as a player. However, as time passes, it's looking less and less likely that another team is interested in making him its starting quarterback.