Baker time in Carolina has officially ended, as the Carolina Panthers released qauarterback Baker Mayfield on Monday after seven games with the team. Mayfield will now be subject to waivers and will be looking for his next landing spot. The Cleveland Browns traded Mayfield to the Panthers five months ago, but he did not do much with his time with the team.
As for the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is officially out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, and their original starter, Trey Lance, is also out for the season with an ankle injury. The Niners are planning for Brock Purdy to be their starter going forward. Purdy was taken with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
With San Francisco thin at quarterback and Mayfield now available, many are putting the two together. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday about the potential of Mayfield landing with his team.
"We look into everything, but that would surprise me right now," Shanahan said, via ESPN. "We've got to discuss more this afternoon. I've always been a fan of his, but I feel really good about our players. We'll look into everything, but I feel pretty good with where we're at."
This offseason, Shanahan said he expected Garoppolo to be traded, and while he did add that it was not a guarantee, it shows just how quickly things can change in this league. As of now, the 49ers' Super Bowl hopes will hinge on a seventh-round rookie quarterback.
Purdy will make his first NFL start on Sunday against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How the next few games go for Purdy could change Shanahan's mind about potentially bringing someone else in.
