Baker Mayfield’s future is still very much up in the air as he awaits word on where his next home will be after the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
While the number of teams needing a franchise quarterback has dwindled this offseason, it doesn’t appear as though the Carolina Panthers — who are already moving on from Sam Darnold — are champing at the bit to make a run at the 27-year-old.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday, the Panthers “are not expected” to trade Mayfield prior to the first round of the NFL Draft, which is on Thursday, “if they do at all.”
It appears as though Carolina is waiting to see what happens on the first day of the draft and whether or not they will be able to come away with the quarterback prospect of their choice. While this year’s crop of passing prospects doesn’t jump off the page, there could be as many as three taken in the first round.
The Panthers own the No. 6 pick, which may be too early to take a quarterback — though that won’t matter much if the organization is dead set on one target.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that “multiple teams in the top half” of the first round have made calls to try and move back. It obviously remains to be seen if the Panthers were one of those teams.
Other potential teams that could be inquiring about the QB include the Seattle Seahawks, who traded away Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, the very same Texans (who sent Watson to Cleveland), and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to FOX Bet, Carolina has the best odds at -140 to acquire Mayfield while the Seahawks sit at +200. The Texans are at +600.
