Analyst thinks Panthers should consider reunion with disgruntled QB
· Yahoo Sports
Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox might believe this idea is crazy, but he wants you to hear him out . . .
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Quarterback Baker Mayfield made headlines this past week for fanning the flames of his unresolved future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former No. 1 overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler, who is entering the final season of his three-year, $100 million contract, has claimed he feels "disrespected" after the organization failed to reach a fresh extension with him ahead of the start of training camp.
As Mayfield seemingly grows more unsatisfied, Knox came up with five quarterback-needy teams who should keep tabs on the situation. And if things go south with current starter Bryce Young here in 2026, he believes the Panthers should entertain what would be a pretty wild reunion:
If Young regresses, however, Carolina could heavily consider other options. Reuniting Mayfield and head coach Dave Canales—who was Mayfield's offensive coordinator in 2023—could make a ton of sense.
Of course, the other caveat is that Mayfield has been with the franchise before, and things didn't go well. For him, though, it might not be a dealbreaker.
Mayfield probably has no interest in returning to a Browns franchise that dumped him for Watson. He may not want to join the head coach partially responsible for that move in Cleveland, Kevin Stefanski, which would take the Atlanta Falcons off the table. However, the coach and GM that were in place during Mayfield's 2022 stint in Carolina are long gone.
Despite hopes of a revival, the Panthers' Mayfield experiment didn't last long. He'd go on to start in just six of his seven games for Carolina that season—passing for six touchdowns, six interceptions and a 57.8-percent completion rate—before being released.
Following a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams to finish out 2022, Mayfield headed to Tampa Bay in 2023. In his first year there, and with Canales as his play-caller Canales, he threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 picks while leading the Bucs to an NFC South crown.
Again, Young would have to falter to even make this a possibility in Carolina. And based off early reports from training camp, Young may be in for one heck of a campaign—so a redo with Mayfield feels rather unlikely.
Knox also lists the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential suitors for Mayfield.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Analyst thinks Panthers should consider reunion with disgruntled QB