Baker Mayfield got a new lease on his NFL career after he got traded to the Carolina Panthers.
He will still get his $18.8 million for 2022 as part of the Cleveland Browns’ fifth-year option on him.
However, the Browns will pay $10 million of his salary while the Panthers will shoulder $5 million.
He can earn the remaining cash through incentives.
In return, the Browns get a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That selection becomes a fourth-rounder if Mayfield plays at least 70 percent of Carolina’s snaps this season.
While Mayfield isn’t named as the team’s starter yet, it looks like he will get the job because he is their best option.
But while he hasn’t won the starting role, he is already making himself feel at home, as shared by Panthers insider Joe Person.
Baker Mayfield on why he picked out Shaq Thompson to talk trash to: “You don’t go for the weak links. You go straight for the head.”
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 1, 2022
Person tweeted, “Baker Mayfield on why he picked out Shaq Thompson to talk trash to: ‘You don’t go for the weak links. You go straight for the head.'”
Thompson plays outside linebacker for the squad and he has been with the organization since 2015.
However, his versatility makes him one of the leaders on defense because he also plays the big nickel position which is a cross between safety and linebacker.
The former Washington standout is also one of the team’s veterans which makes him one of the toughest players on the roster.
Mayfield Uses Trash Talk As Motivation
That Mayfield engages in contentious conversations with teammates and opponents is well documented.
That’s why football fans either love or hate him.
This time, Mayfield hopes that talking trash with Thompson will spark the defense to do better this season.
When that happens, even the offense will benefit.
NEXT: Baker Mayfield Comments On The Deshaun Watson News