Do the Carolina Panthers, following their trade with the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Baker Mayfield, now have a sunk cost on their roster in Sam Darnold? According to general manager Scott Fitterer—no.
Fitterer spoke to media members on Tuesday to address the move for Mayfield, with Darnold’s name coming up right away. And although they have a shiny new toy in the former No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers still plan on hosting a battle for the reins under center.
“No, this is an open competition,” Fitterer said when asked if Mayfield already has the starting job. “The reason why we added Baker was to make the group better as a whole. Our whole philosophy is that competition, not just in the quarterback room, but every position. So if we see an opportunity where we can get better where we add a player, it makes sense for us as a team, makes sense for us financially, makes sense for us just from addition standpoint, we’re gonna do that.”
