Baker Mayfield has experience in this area.
The quarterback bucked the odds to restart his college career by transferring from Texas Tech to Oklahoma almost ten years ago.
He now has a comparable chance in the NFL.
After months of trade negotiations, the Carolina Panthers acquired Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday. According to several sources, Mayfield bridged the financial gap necessary for the deal to go through by agreeing to forgo $3.5 million of his $19 million fully guaranteed contract for the 2022 season, which he may recoup through performance bonuses. The contract will cost the Browns $10.5 million, and the Panthers will pay $4.85 million for it.
If Mayfield is selected as the starting quarterback and participates in at least 12 games for the Panthers this season, Carolina will receive a fourth-round pick in 2024 in exchange for the Panthers’ 2024 fifth-round pick.
He will need to defeat Carolina incumbent Sam Darnold, the third overall choice in the 2018 draught, to accomplish it. Darnold was chosen by the New York Jets two picks after Mayfield.
The odds appear long that Mayfield can recapture some of the promises he showed in 2020 when he became the first Browns quarterback to win a playoff game in 26 years, after a poor run with the Browns that was highlighted by an injury-riddled, drama-filled final season in 2021.
However, nine years ago the odds were stacked against Mayfield.
