The Carolina Panthers have added another quarterback to their roster by trading for Baker Mayfield.
It’s a low-risk, high-reward move because the Panthers only gave up a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
If Mayfield ends up playing 70 percent of the snaps in 2022, that pick will turn into a fourth-rounder.
In return, Carolina gets a quarterback that has won in the playoffs and carries a commendable work ethic.
Still, there’s a chance that Mayfield will struggle and the Panthers turn to Sam Darnold again.
If that happens, they will repeat a feat that only one quarterback tandem before them has done.
Re: Mayfield trade: If both Darnold + Mayfield play for Carolina this yr, it'll mark just 2nd time in Common Draft Era that a team has had multiple top-3 QBs from same draft play for them in a season. The 1980 Raiders had Plunkett and Pastorini (1st + 3rd in ‘71) @EliasSports
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) July 7, 2022
ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweets, “Re: Mayfield trade: If both Darnold + Mayfield play for Carolina this yr, it’ll mark just 2nd time in Common Draft Era that a team has had multiple top-3 QBs from same draft play for them in a season. The 1980 Raiders had Plunkett and Pastorini (1st + 3rd in ‘71) @EliasSports.”
Mayfield and Darnold were both drafted in 2018, going first and third overall, respectively.
The former USC standout was traded to the Panthers last season in exchange for three draft picks.
History Is On Their Side
The 1980 Oakland Raiders dominated Super Bowl XV against the Philadelphia Eagles.
That year, the team acquired Dan Pastorini in exchange for Kenny Stabler.
However, Pastorini’s struggles prompted head coach Tom Flores to go with Jim Plunkett.
The team clicked and made Flores the first head coach of Hispanic descent to win a Super Bowl.
In that case, are the Panthers poised to win Super Bowl LVII?
While crazy things have happened in the NFL, it would take a Herculean effort for them to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season.
NEXT: NFL Insider Explains The Lack Of Interest In Baker Mayfield