“Look, Take the C Plus & Be Happy”: Baker Mayfield Gets Graded by Former Super Bowl Champ After Preseason Brings Some Semblance of Positivity for New Panthers QB

The Carolina Panthers ended their preseason on a high note with a 21-0 win against the Buffalo Bills this week. This game seems to have helped the first-year quarterback for the Panthers, Baker Mayfield, plunge his roots at the starting position. The former Heisman Trophy winner connected for two touchdowns that helped the team win the match effortlessly. While this was projected as a new chapter of Mayfield’s story, Broncos Legend, and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe wasn’t pleased with his performance.

In the recent episode of the UNDISPUTED, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless sat across the table to assess the game, especially Mayfield’s progress, and gave him a grade. Sharpe, who is known for being outspoken and making straightforward claims, said that he was not satisfied with the Panthers QB.

According to him, Mayfield is already a veteran and is gearing up to play in his fifth NFL season. So unless he showcases some real play in the regular season, Sharpe cannot accept him. Moreover, he gave the new Panthers QB a C+ grade, saying the ritual was only followed for the rookies and Mayfield is the first veteran to get a grade from him.

“This is the first time I have graded a veteran player in the preseason. Normally, we’re giving grades to rookies because this is their first time in the NFL,” he said on the show “I give him a c plus. That’s the best I can give you. Looking, throwing a couple of touchdowns against the backup isn’t going to change my mind. I know what I’ve seen in the last four years. Look, take the C plus, and be happy. Now. We’ll see in two weeks. If he can throw the ball with accuracy and precision,” Sharpe added to his explanation.

This offseason proved to be a game-changer in Mayfield’s career. All of a sudden, becoming trade bait, and finally, after several weeks, a deal was made with the Carolina Panthers.

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He also had to make sacrifices by taking a 3.5 million hit in the salary cap and compromising with some of the terms in his contract moving ahead. And guess what? It turned out for the sake of good. Last week, he was named the starting quarterback for the franchise over Sam Darnold on the roster.

How did Sam Darnold react to promoting Baker Mayfield above him?

Since Baker Mayfield set his foot inside the Panthers locker room, Darnold’s position inside the team jittered. The Oklahoma product was the clear favorite. It took no time for the management to declare him as the starting quarterback. Well, the announcement was not made suddenly. After several days of training sessions and preseason games, head coach Matt Rhule came up with this conclusion.

He said that Mayfield and Darnold executed their responsibilities wisely, and there was enough time left to make a final call. As soon as the news got revealed, the former Jets quarterback appreciated the move. He affirmed that he respects Rhule’s decision.

“My mindset is, it is what it is. For me, right now, I’m going to do everything I can to support Baker and get him ready to play a game,” Darnold said to the reporters. It will be interesting to see how long is competition between Darnold and Mayfield. It only benefits the team for the sake of victory.

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