Baker Mayfield’s short-lived tenure with the Carolina Panthers was quite the disappointment, but the No. 1 selection of the 2018 NFL Draft finished 2022 on a strong note with the Los Angeles Rams.
The defending Super Bowl champions lost starter Matthew Stafford for the season with a spinal contusion. The Rams signed Mayfield following his release from the Panthers, and the 27-year-old improved considerably with his new team.
Mayfield completed 63.6 percent of his pass attempts for 850 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s slated to enter free agency later this month, and with plenty of teams in desperate need of a QB, Mayfield should have considerable interest.
One surprise team that could be in on Mayfield? The San Francisco 49ers, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:
“Niners GM John Lynch conceded this week that the timing of Brock Purdy’s surgery on his injured right elbow could force the team’s hand on looking for a veteran to throw into the mix. I don’t, for what it’s worth, think that San Francisco’s going to break the bank. But I could absolutely see Lynch and Kyle Shanahan going in on someone like Baker Mayfield, who has experience in that type of offense and a boatload of starting experience. Keep an eye on that one.”
Both Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan previously stated that the team won’t be bringing back Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s scheduled to enter free agency. Trey Lance, who opened the 2022 season as the starter before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2, is expected to be back for OTAs in May.
But it certainly doesn’t hurt to bring in a cheap veteran option as insurance until both Lance and Purdy are back at full strength. And Mayfield might like the idea of learning from an offensive guru like Shanahan, which could help the former again rebuild his value in 2024 free agency.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Other QB-needy teams that could use Mayfield include the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and New York Jets.
