Baker Mayfield faces another opportunity to revive his career after trade to Carolina Panthers

play

12:12 PM ET

Baker has been to this place before.

The quarterback moved from Texas Tech to Oklahoma almost a decade ago.

He has an opportunity in the football league.

After months of trade discussions, the Cleveland Browns traded their quarterback to the Carolinas. According to multiple sources, the trade to be completed by bridge the money gap was made possible by the fact that Mayfield agreed to 3.5 million of his $19 million fully guaranteed contract for the 2022. The Carolinas will pay almost $5 million more than the Clevelands. Carolina will give back a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, which will turn into a fourth-round pick if Mayfield plays at least 12 games for the team.

Will the NFC East win a second title?

• 'Hollywood' Brown feeling at home with Cards

• A look at Bengals on rookie contracts

• Which AFC East team can dethrone the Bills?

• MVS off to good start with Mahomes

He'll have to beat out Carolina incumbent Sam Darnold in order to do that. The New York Jets picked two different players.

After a disappointing tenure with the Browns, with an injury-riddled, drama-filled final season in 2021, the odds are long that he can regain some of the promise he showed in 2020, when he became the first Cleveland quarterback in 26 years to win a playoff game.

Nine years ago, the odds were against the man.

The first walk-on true freshman in college football history started the season for a Power 5 program. He excelled in his first year as Texas Tech's quarterback, leading the team to a surprising five-game winning streak. He injured his knee. Kliff Kingsbury kept the quarterback competition open even after the return of Baker Mayfield.

By the end of the season, both Texas Tech and quarterback Baker Mayfield were ready to move on. Patrick Mahomes, a hotshot quarterback recruit out of Whitehouse, Texas, had given a verbal commitment to join the Texas Tech football team.

The man went looking for a new job. He was named the co-offensive freshman of the year in the Big 12. Tony Levine, Houston's coach, called to deny rumors of their interest.

With few options, he decided to go for it. He went to Oklahoma because he was a fan of the program in Austin. He didn't have anything. Bob Stoops didn't know until after he moved into a freshman dorm that Baker was in Norman.

After a few weeks, he got a scholarship. He beat out Knight to become Oklahoma's starter. By the end of his decorated college career, he was the first former walk-on to win a Heisman trophy, and he led the Sooners to three Big 12 titles and two playoff appearances.

College football is not a part of the NFL. Through four years in the league, there has been no suggestion that he will become a Pro Bowl quarterback.

The constant change of head coaches in Cleveland didn't help his development. His demise in Cleveland was caused by playing through the torn labrum to his left shoulder. There is a reason why Carolina was the only team that was interested in trading for Mayfield.

There's a chance that Mayfield won't become a star quarterback in the National Football League. He has been here before. Go away. He was written off but still has an opportunity to be a starting quarterback.

The odds were against the man before. He might be able to do it again in Carolina.