Panthers Prefer Jimmy Garoppolo To Baker Mayfield?

Jonathan Jones says the sense he gets from the Panthers is they aren’t interested in trading for Browns QB Baker Mayfield. 

Jones adds he thinks Carolina would prefer 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who could be viewed as a better personality fit in the locker room than Mayfield even if the latter is younger, cheaper and healthier. 

No matter which option the Panthers pursue, Jones believes Mayfield and Garoppolo’s original team will have to eat some of their salary. 

Mayfield is not expected to be traded before the draft and remains in limbo. Garoppolo is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to begin throwing again until July. San Francisco is still expected to move on from him at some point and turn things over to Trey Lance.

Garoppolo, 30, is a former second-round pick of the Patriots back in 2014. The Patriots traded him to the 49ers in 2017 at the trade deadline in return for a 2018 second-round pick.

Garoppolo was in line to be an unrestricted free agent when the 49ers signed him to a five-year, $137.5 million contract during the 2018 offseason.

In 2021, Jimmy Garoppolo appeared in 15 games for the 49ers and completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 3810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 51 yards and three touchdowns.

Mayfield, 26, was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2018. He just finished the fourth year of a four-year, $32.68 million rookie deal that included a $21.85 million signing bonus. 

The Browns exercised Mayfield’s fifth-year option which will cost Cleveland $18.858 million fully guaranteed in 2022. 

In 2021, Mayfield appeared in 14 games and completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown.

We’ll have more on Mayfield, Garoppolo and the Panthers QB search as the news is available.