Quarterback Baker Mayfield has landed with his third-team of 2022 when the Los Angeles Rams called him out of waivers on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve with a spinal cord injury and is likely to miss the rest of the season. The Rams’ depth map at quarterback before the Mayfield acquisition: John Wolford and Bryce Perkins.
- Mayfield started six games for the Panthers that season (Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11); Carolina went 1-5 in those starts.
- He completed 57.8 percent of his passes with the Panthers for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions, resulting in a 74.4 passer rating.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
backstory
2018 NFL draft pick Mayfield was traded from the Browns to the Panthers in July after Cleveland was traded from the Texans to Deshaun Watson.
Mayfield, 27, requested his release and the Panthers agreed on Monday, league sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Athletic. Mayfield was benched in Week 12 against the Broncos in favor of Sam Darnold, 25. Darnold missed the early part of the season with a high ankle sprain.
Mayfield’s future with Rams after 2022
I don’t feel like the Rams gave much thought to what happens after the four to five games Mayfield can play for them to finish the year. As they assess whether he can be a long-term backup option for them, he finds himself in a pretty awkward position: no Cooper Kupp, no Allen Robinson, with the Rams on their 12th offensive combination of the season. In the short term they might consider this an upgrade over their current backups (and QB2 Wolford is injured). If Mayfield signs a new contract elsewhere this spring, he would earn the Rams an equalizer pick, and that’s being considered in the short-term as well. – Rodrigue
Issues with Play Action Passes
Mayfield has seen a dramatic decline in production in recent years. According to TruMedia, the biggest dip in his performance came while gaming:
- Non-play action dropbacks from 2018 to 2021: 58.6 percent completion rate, 6.37 yards per attempt, 76.5 passer rating
- Non-play action dropbacks of 2022: 57.2 percent, 6.61 YPA, 71.8 rating
- 2018-2021 play-action dropbacks: 66.6 percent, 9.42 YPA, 109.3 rating
- Play-action dropbacks as of 2022: 59.3 percent, 5.7 YPA, 81.4 rating
- After EPA/dropback, Mayfield has 32/35 QBs out of game action this season. From 2018-2021 he was ranked 18/40. EPA/DB for Play-Action is -0.08 this year and 0.14 from 2018 to 2021. – Rodrigue
An uphill climb awaits Mayfield
This move says a lot about how the Rams’ season has gone overall. Mayfield will be the fourth quarterback to play for them, and his signing has signaled the Rams are evaluating longer-term options at their backup position, unlike Wolford and Perkins, who started against Kansas City. The Rams’ locker room has kept their composure despite the circumstances and it will be interesting to see how they react to yet another scenario of sudden change. Mayfield himself will be in for a steep climb given the health of the squad in general if he puts together a good bond for upcoming free agency. – Rodrigue
(Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today)