Athletes and members of the sports media world reacted Wednesday to the news that the Cleveland Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers.
Over the offseason, the Browns chose to go in a different direction for the quarterback position, and it was a foregone conclusion that Baker Mayfield would be traded eventually. The Cleveland Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 draft pick Wednesday, according to ESPN.
Some commenters on Twitter were enthusiastic about the news of the trade, while others had a more cautious viewpoint.
No.1 and No.3 Overall Picks of 2018 are now playing for the Panthers! Hearing this sounds like a Dream Right? 😁😁
— Tre Boston (@TreBos10) July 6, 2022
Baker Mayfield and the @Panthers are a match made in Heaven. Baker needs to play the best football of his career to eliminate all doubt he is THAT GUY and the Panthers coaching staff and front office needs him to play the best football of his career to save their jobs.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 6, 2022
Shrewd move by the Browns, trading Baker to the worst situation possible, one even more dysfunctional than Cleveland’s, sabotaging his ability to come back to haunt them. Carolina is the NFL’s biggest mess. Baker will need to move again before he rises & shines. AND HE WILL.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 6, 2022
Darnold, still just 25, had a great Spring and has a head start on the playbook and familiarity with offensive teammates. It’ll be a battle between Baker and Darnold, may the best former first round pick win.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) July 6, 2022
The Carolina Panthers are getting the 2017 Heisman trophy winner and the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft to presumably compete against Sam Darnold for the starting quarterback job. During Mayfield’s time with the Cleveland Browns, he threw for 92 touchdowns and 14,125 yards in four seasons as the team’s starter, according to Pro Football Reference. (RELATED: The Cleveland Browns Trade Baker Mayfield To The Carolina Panthers)
In 2020, Mayfield led the Browns to the postseason for the first time since 2002. He threw for 263 yards in a road victory over Cleveland’s division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, before losing to the eventual AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the divisional round, 22-17.
The Panthers play the Browns week one of the 2022 NFL season, it will be a must-watch matchup if Mayfield is Carolina’s starter.