The Panthers have been unable to find a franchise quarterback for some time now and it hasn’t been from lack of trying. This week Baker Mayfield was waived by the team, making him the latest guy to not work out in the hunt for the future of the franchise.
The Carolina Panthers have not had a single quarterback start every game since Cam Newton in 2017. Since then the team has seen eight different quarterbacks start a game and none of those games have been in the postseason. The team hasn’t only missed but they have spent a lot of time, money and draft picks in the process.
The 2018 season started well as the team was 6-2 and trending towards making the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. In a week 10 Thursday night game in Pittsburgh, the team suffered a 52-21 loss, Newton took a few hard shots and that carousel began. Newton did start the next five games but it was clear the 2015 MVP wasn’t himself. After this the team was 6-8 and Coach Ron Rivera decided to make the change under center. He gave each backup Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen a start in the final two games.
In the offseason Newton had shoulder surgery and looked to return as the Panthers starter for 2019. In the 2019 draft the team made its first move on a quarterback. In the third round with the 100th pick they took Will Grier out of West Virginia. Grier made the team as a backup alongside Allen. Newton started the first two games before injuring his left foot and missing the rest of the season. Allen started 12 games that year and Grier started 2.
Heading into 2020 there were some big changes Matt Rhule had been hired as the next head coach and Newton had been released in March. On the day Newton was released the team had his replacement. Teddy Bridgewater had been signed to a three year 63 million dollar deal with 33 of it guaranteed. The team also signed a new backup in PJ Walker, whom had just lead his XFL team to a 5-0 record before the Covid shutdown, to a two year deal worth just over one and a half million. That season Bridgewater did start all but one game but his performance wasn’t good enough for the front office who traded him to Denver that offseason for a 6th round pick.
The Panthers were onto their next quarterback soon enough as they traded a 2021 6th round pick as well as a 2nd and a 4th in 2022 to the Jets for Sam Darnold. Despite giving up the picks he would be cheaper than Bridgewater as he had one year left on his rookie deal worth 4.774 million. The team did however pick up his 5th year option right away which was worth 18.858 million. Darnold got injured in week 9 and with Walker set to make his 2nd start the team brought back Newton on a 10 million dollar deal to be on the team the rest of the season with 4.5 million of it guaranteed. Newton made five starts down the stretch but he didn’t return to the team for 2022.
Heading into 2022 the Panthers traded for another quarterback, this time for Baker Mayfield. The Panthers would only inherit 4.86 million dollars of his final year contract worth nearly 15 million in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2024 that could’ve became a 4th had he played 70% of the teams snaps this year. In the 2022 draft the Panthers traded up into the 3rd round to get Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral giving up their 4th later on that draft and a 3rd in 2023. As previously stayed Mayfield was released by the team this week. He was picked up by the Rams and they will take over the remaining 1.35 million on his deal.
Darnold started in the last game vs Denver and is expected to start on Sunday in Seattle. During this time the team his also temporarily brought in Matt Barkley and Jacob Eason. All summed up the team has spend roughly 40 million dollars and given up five draft picks and it is still unclear who will be under center for the Panthers in 2023.