GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season. Coming into a new season, you may be looking at what excites you about your team. If you're a Carolina Panthers fan, you may be looking for a sign of hope, hope that this team will win more ball games this season. The Panthers have three consecutive five-win seasons, all with different quarterbacks.
The Carolina Panthers need to stabilize that position and they're hoping to do that with Baker Mayfield. He beat out Sam Darnold for the starting role in training camp.
We're still getting to know Mayfield as he heads into his first game as a Panther, but here is a list of 10 things we do know about him.
1. Baker Mayfield was the 1st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
2. Baker Mayfield has worn the number 6 since college. So that's his favorite number, right? Wrong. He wore the number 6 at Texas Tech. When he transferred to Oklahoma, the school thought it was his favorite number, so they gave it to him again. He said it just stuck with him and now he has worn it through his whole NFL career. When he came to the Panthers, Punter Johnny Hekker had it, but Hekker gave it up for Mayfield to have it.
3. Baker Mayfield has had one playoff win in the NFL. In 2020, he led the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years.
4. Baker Mayfield had surgery to fix his torn labrum in his left shoulder in January 2022. He missed the Browns season finale against the Bengals. He hurt it in Week 2 of the 2021 season but played through it.
5. Baker Mayfield is going into his 5th year in the league.
6. Baker Mayfield has 92 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns.
7. Baker Mayfield has thrown 56 interceptions.
8. Baker Mayfield is one of eight team captains for the Carolina Panthers.
9. Baker Mayfield is 29-30 all-time as a starter.
10. Baker Mayfield is on a one-year deal with the Panthers. He doesn't want to talk about opening the season against his former team too much, but he said if he can beat the Browns in Week 1, then he's doing the job he came here to do, and that's winning!
You can watch the Panthers season opener on WFMY News 2, your official home of the Carolina Panthers.
The Browns and Panthers kick off at 1 p.m.
