The Carolina Panthers took a lot of L’s in recent history. Even when they aren’t playing a game, they catch strays from other players. Two former Panthers quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, meet this week with both careers on upswings since leaving Carolina.
Mayfield, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Darnold, now with the Seattle Seahawks, went from losing records while calling Bank of America Stadium home, to playoff appearances. Their stories are specifically used to prove that sometimes quarterbacks need to find a better fit to reach their prime. And in turn, some Panthers fans wonder “what if.”
Mayfield played with the Panthers in 2022 and Darnold was with Carolina in 2021 and 2022. The year they overlapped, the Panthers finished the season 7-10, going 5-12 in Darnold’s first season.
Mayfield received questions about the nature of his current relationship with Darnold. He was then asked if the two reminisce about the “good old days in Carolina,” prompting a funny response. The Bucs QB gave a sarcastic, “Reminisce about WHAT days?” seeming shocked anyone would refer to the 2022 Panthers with any positive adjective.
When the reporter clarified, Mayfield didn’t have to hesitate, saying, “Ohhh nope. No we don’t,” and getting laughs from the room.
Mayfield went 1-5 in six starts with the Panthers, while Darnold went 4-2 that same season. Mayfield’s final stat line that year with the Panthers included a 57.8% completion rate, the lowest of his career, with 1,313 passing yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Darnold completed 58.6% of his passes, second lowest of his career, with 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Midway through that season, Mayfield requested a release, which he was granted. The Los Angeles Rams claimed him before the eventual move to Tampa.
That next season, Mayfield went 9-8 with a 64.3% completion rate, 4044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and helped the Bucs win a playoff game. In Darnold’s first year as a starter after his Panthers stint (2024), he went 14-3, with a 66.2 completion percentage, 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and helped the Minnesota Vikings get a playoff bid.
