Baker Mayfield has walked in Bryce Young's cleats, a former No. 1 overall pick cast aside and benched by the Carolina Panthers.
Pushed out of Cleveland in favor of Deshaun Watson, Mayfield landed in Charlotte in 2022, where he won the starting gig over Sam Darnold. His reign lasted just five uneven starts while playing through injury. An ankle issue caused him to miss time, and he returned as the backup to PJ Walker. Mayfield made one more start in Carolina before being cut and landing in Los Angeles under Sean McVay.
From there, Mayfield's career found rebirth. He had helped lead the famous win over the Raiders after less than 48 hours on the club and saw a modicum of success down the stretch under McVay.
Inking a one-year deal in Tampa in 2023, Mayfield took off with a newfound pocket presence, a knack for avoiding hits, and an ability to distribute the ball to his improved weaponry. After agreeing this offseason to a three-year contract with a max value of $115 million, the Bucs QB has continued that stellar play into 2024, where he's been one of the most efficient signal-callers through two weeks.
On Wednesday, Mayfield empathized with Young's situation.
"Obviously, mine didn't happen in the same time frame as Bryce, but quarterback's hard," Mayfield said. "Especially for young guys when you're not surrounded with the pieces, you're not given the opportunity to have success. A lot of the time, guys have the talent, they might have the brains, but they don't have the right opportunity, the right fit. I'm sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I've been. That's not to put other teams down, but it's a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches. For Bryce, I could relate to this, it's [about] finding that belief within yourself again. He'll get it. His story is far, far from finished."
Young was put in a woeful situation in Carolina in 2023 behind a horrible offensive line, with receivers who couldn't separate and little aid from the running game. The Panthers attempted to remedy the situation in 2024, spending money on the offensive line and using assets to bring in weapons. Yet, Young continued to struggle -- devolve even.
The question now is whether the Panthers cut ties with the former No. 1 overall pick, possibly trading him before the deadline, or whether there is any shred of hope for a reclamation project in Carolina.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Wednesday that trading Young is "not something we're really considering."
Canales insisted that he still believes in Young despite this week's benching.
"Absolutely," Canales said on Wednesday. "This is a developmentally-minded program. The development didn't stop. Every rep he's out there, we're evaluating the whole thing. Having conversations, and continuing to push all of our guys, including Bryce, to take that next step. Every day is a growth possibility and opportunity. So we're fully committed to that."
We've seen several cast-aside quarterbacks, however, find new life elsewhere. Better surroundings can lead to better production. Mayfield in Tampa Bay. Darnold so far in Minnesota. Geno Smith in Seattle. Jared Goff was a toss-in to the Matthew Stafford deal, but now his name is chanted in Detroit.
Young's situation isn't a one-for-one comparison with any of the above QBs. He's been benched after just 18 starts. His play was more dismal, with fewer flashes.
However, as Mayfield said, Young's story is far from over. The first question is where and when the next chapter gets penned. The next is how Young responds.
