Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers have agreed to go their separate ways.
According to multiple sources, Baker reached out to Panthers management and asked to be released. He did so based on an understanding that he was nowhere near regaining his starting quarterback slot.
Carolina ultimately obliged his request, ensuring that the conditional pick they sent to the Cleveland Browns for him would remain a 2024 fifth-rounder.
Baker’s wife, Emily, who always finds herself in the headlines for matters relating to hear beau, had a dramatic reaction to the move.
That reaction?
She immediately put her Instagram on private.
Emily is a pretty prominent social media influencer. She has more than 223,000 followers and routinely goes viral. So her making this move was telling.
She doesn’t want to deal with the broader NFL population at the moment.
Over the past few months Emily has set the internet ablaze on more occasion than one. Between her wild photos from Panthers losses, provocative outfits at games and unfiltered honesty with fans, it has been one thing after another with her.
Emily has also handled Baker’s various issues with a lot of grace and class. Like his infamous leaked DMs brouhaha.
Baker’s time in Carolina was an objective failure. There are no two ways about it.
Because the NFC South is atrocious this year, even at 4-8, the Panthers still technically have a shot at the playoffs. But it’s hard to see that actually coming to fruition regardless of who their quarterback is.
As for Baker, clearly he is hoping to land with the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners lost starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the year this weekend to a broken ankle.
Mr. Irrelevant, rookie Brock Purdy, took over for him and led San Francisco to a win over the Miami Dolphins – but it is unclear whether he is a suitable long-term solution.
The 49ers are a veteran team that is built to win now. Which is why Trey Lance was a poor fit to start the season, even before his stripper woes and subsequent injury.
Crazy NFL fans now want Sam Ponder punished for her outfit choice. https://t.co/uyFPoSuuYg
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 5, 2022
Baker, for all his flaws, is a veteran.
Will he and Emily find themselves in San Francisco at some point in the foreseeable future?
Time will tell.
Related: ESPN’s Sam Ponder Cries About Deshaun Watson’s Browns Debut
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
