Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers, and the Confidence Factor
The trade of Baker Mayfield must provide a spark to the Panthers’ locker room. Krebs’ latest Monday NFL Column looks into the impact of confidence and what Baker should bring to Carolina.
Designing a prototypical Quarterback usually begins with arm strength and accuracy, with the modern QB adding in a mobile element. Mindset and competitiveness are typically an afterthought in favor of physical skills since people popularize physical traits because they are front and central to the common eye. A starting QB's mentality should be in the mix when stirring the pot of what makes a competent quarterback.
Players who hold themselves to the highest standards set the table for the entire team. When teams roll around mediocrity, they need an outside spark to light a competitive fire. Confidence and self-belief should be a given for a winning Quarterback, but some players exude confidence that leaks into the entire team. Leaders raise the confidence level of the team and create a winning culture.
In some cases, confidence can be as much a benefit as it hurts the team. If players believe they are something they cannot back up with on-field play, players will question credibility. Finding success, especially in a new team culture, must be crafted into a balanced culture where players know their limits alongside their teammates.
Baker Mayfield is the definition of a confident Quarterback. However, despite his competitive mindset, his tenure with the Cleveland Browns shows that not everyone respects Baker’s most fulfilling trait, his belief in himself. Mayfield did enter a culture where losing was a central habit and helped his team make and win a playoff game in 2020-21. While several factors expunged his exit from the Browns, including teammates questioning his talent and the team searching for an upgrade, Mayfield’s Browns career was not disastrous and potentially showed a glimmer of his capabilities.
On July 6th, the Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 conditional 5th-round pick, not a significant return for a starting Quarterback. Not a guaranteed starter by any means, with the teams splitting the financials and the draft cost, Mayfield has every right to compete with Sam Darnold as the Panthers' new signal-caller. The Panthers have been looking for that edge on their team, specifically from the Quarterback position since Cam Newton’s first tenure with the team. The Panthers have low expectations given the projected dominance of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints. Carolina is a perfect landing spot for Mayfield, where he can prove his on-field play to an NFL world that questions his abilities.
While he does not have a strong history of success, Baker is battle-tested and plays through injuries. That strong belief in himself and his teammates may not determine his on-field performance, but the Panthers' locker room must absorb Baker's confidence. With Coach Matt Rhule presumably on the hot seat, Baker Mayfield and the rest of the Panthers have something to prove, and a confident mindset is the first factor needed to change the tide in Carolina.
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