Baker Mayfield 'Hasn't Failed' as Panthers QB, Injury to Blame for Struggles, OC Says

Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield "hasn't failed" in the eyes of offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, McAdoo said Mayfield's struggles can be chalked up to injuries. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner underwent shoulder surgery before joining the team and missed time this year because of a high ankle sprain.

McAdoo's explanation may not wash for some fans because Mayfield wasn't performing well before he went down with the ankle injury.

Through Carolina's first five games, he threw for 962 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 54.9 percent of his passes.

Ironically, Mayfield's best performance so far came after he returned from the ankle sprain. With the Panthers down 35-0 to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, he replaced P.J. Walker at halftime and went 14-of-20 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

For obvious reasons, McAdoo doesn't want to throw one of his players under the bus, but it seems reasonable to conclude Mayfield hasn't worked out for Carolina.

A telling indicator is that NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Walker is expected to start Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons despite Mayfield having his monster second half.

Granted, the Panthers have a vested interest in keeping his snap count low.

After firing head coach Matt Rhule and trading Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, Carolina is in full rebuild mode. Keeping Mayfield on the bench and increasing its chances of only sending the Cleveland Browns a fifth-round pick is the smarter play.

Both the Panthers and Mayfield are effectively left to play out the string until he hits free agency in 2023.