After the Carolina Panthers traded for former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield last month, the team has been clear that it intends to hold an open competition between Mayfield and fellow former first-round pick Sam Darnold to determine the team’s starting quarterback.
Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer held fast to that point in his first press conference following Mayfield’s addition. When asked whether Mayfield would be the team’s starting quarterback this fall, Fitterer said “this is an open competition.”
On Monday, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule outlined exactly how the team intends to choose the team’s starting quarterback – they’re going to let the players do it the way they play, allowing the best player to simply emerge as the No. 1 option.
“To me, my job is not to pick the starting quarterback,” Rhule said Monday, according to NFL.com. “The players will do that with the way they play. My job is to make sure that we have really good players in the room, which we do, and make sure that they have opportunities. So it’ll be a fun ride and when we know we’ll know.”
One way or another, the Panthers will be looking for improved play across the board this season – quarterback position included – after finishing last year with a paltry 5-12 record.
[NFL.com]
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