The Carolina Panthers wanted Baker Mayfield to give up a staggering amount of guaranteed money.
Shockwaves were sent through the NFL earlier in the week when the Panthers traded for the former Browns first overall pick in return for a fifth round pick. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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To get the trade to happen, Mayfield agreed to give up roughly $3.5 million of his guaranteed money this season, and the Browns agreed to pay $10.5 million of his 2022 salary. That means the Panthers are only paying Mayfield right around $5 million. They initially wanted to pay even less!
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The Athletic reported the Panthers wanted Mayfield to give up $7 million instead of the $3.5 million he did, and that means Carolina could have had him for right around $1.5 million.
To put it as bluntly as possible, the Panthers wanted to get Mayfield for pretty much free.
Baker Mayfield Trade Stuns The NFL https://t.co/uGe2i6V2AK
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 6, 2022
Now, it didn’t happen, but it does go to show that Carolina doesn’t really buy into the Oklahoma Heisman winner. If they did, they wouldn’t have asked him to give up virtually all his guaranteed money that Cleveland wasn’t already paying.
NFL Star Attempts To Walk Back Blunt Comments About Baker Mayfield After Shocking Trade https://t.co/GeEuB9HTYi
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 7, 2022
Mayfield now has one season to prove he belongs in the NFL. If he beats out Sam Darnold for the starting job and plays well, there could be a huge payday coming in 2023. If not, Mayfield’s time as a starting option in the NFL will rapidly near an end.