Quarterback Baker Mayfield will now wear the black, blue, and silver colors of the Carolina Panthers starting in training camp.
He will be the favorite to win the starting role over Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Matt Corral.
The former Heisman Trophy went to Carolina via a trade initiated by the Cleveland Browns.
In return, the Browns get a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mayfield has the right to feel upset with the squad that made him the first overall pick in the 2018 draft.
After all, he helped bring stability to the team after having just one win in two seasons.
He was also their quarterback when they made the playoffs and won a postseason game for the first time since 1994.
But even those accomplishments were not enough to keep his job in Cleveland.
What could have hurt the most is that he was initially promised to remain as the starter in 2022.
Unfortunately, the wind blew differently when the Browns signed Deshaun Watson.
The former Oklahoma standout was unwanted given that Cleveland already had a better option.
Yet as fate would have it, he will have a chance to get payback against his former team in Week 1 of the 2022 season.
However, Mayfield isn’t holding any resentment against his former team, as shared by WKYC’s Ben Axelrod.
Baker Mayfield to https://t.co/hPSSnZsXXr on facing the #Browns in Week 1: "I'm not going to sit here and be a robot and tell you that's not one I've marked on the calendar already."https://t.co/vrFf8vpIfs pic.twitter.com/smCPBKvh5o
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) July 12, 2022
Extra Motivation For Mayfield To Defeat The Browns
In an article on the Panthers’ official website, Mayfield said, “I’m not going to sit here and be a robot and tell you that’s not one I’ve marked on the calendar already. To me, it’s about winning games. Whoever we have marked on the schedule, I’m going to try to win.”
But aside from getting that victory, getting paid $10 million by the Browns is the icing on top of the cake.
Imagine defeating the team that pays the bulk of your salary.
If that happens, Mayfield will have the last laugh and put to rest whatever grudges he has, whether he admits them or not.
NEXT: Baker Mayfield Will Finally Make His Panthers Debut