Baker Mayfield Claimed by Rams After Panthers Exit; Reportedly Could Play vs. Raiders

Baker Mayfield will look to reignite his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams after they claimed him off waivers on Tuesday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mayfield might suit up for the team as early as Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Schefter reported that the San Francisco 49ers did not put in a claim for Mayfield despite losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a foot injury on Sunday. The Rams were ahead of the 49ers in the waiver order, so the Niners wouldn't have gotten him even if they had put in a claim.

The 27-year-old didn't make it a full year with the Carolina Panthers, which acquired him from the Cleveland Browns prior to the start of the 2022 season. They announced on Monday they had released the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

It continued Mayfield's precipitous fall. Within the space of three seasons, he went from helping the Browns reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002 to getting cut by one of the league's worst teams.

Throughout 2021, the Oklahoma product battled shoulder trouble that eventually required surgery. From Carolina's perspective, you could talk yourself into the idea of him rebounding now that he was fully healthy. His bitter divorce from Cleveland provided a clear motivator as well.

Not only did the bounce-back from the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner fail to materialize, but he also played worse than he ever had.

In seven appearances, Mayfield threw for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions and was on pace for career lows in completion percentage (57.8), quarterback rating (74.4) and QBR (18.3), per Pro Football Reference.

Equally as concerning, the shoulder surgery did little to help him be a more dynamic passer. His 5.6 adjusted yards per attempt were more than a full yard below his career average (6.9).

Shortly after Mayfield's release, former cornerback Richard Sherman offered a withering assessment of the signal-caller, arguing there wasn't a clear space for him elsewhere and that he'd probably get another chance largely because of where he was drafted.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported teams weren't exactly banging down Mayfield's door right now and may not be in the offseason:

"Teams I've talked to say his days as an NFL starter could be numbered. But several teams could be completely starting over at quarterback, including the New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and New York Giants. There will be jobs available. But he's low on the free-agent pecking order."

Somebody was bound to sign him eventually because good backups aren't in abundance across the NFL. Kyle Allen, Brett Rypien, Bailey Zappe, Cooper Rush, Bryce Perkins and Skylar Thompson are among the understudies that have been pressed into starting duty for one reason or another in 2022.

When it comes to Mayfield, you don't want to pin your hopes to him as the full-time starter, but there could be worse alternatives in a pinch.

The Rams are a good fit because head coach Sean McVay might be able to get the best out of him. Perkins and John Wolford aren't impossible competition to overcome for the starting job, either, as Los Angeles continues to cope without an injured Matthew Stafford.