“You Get What You Deserve”: Jon Gruden Slams Carolina Panthers as Former Players Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold Shine in Week 17

Good coaching and a positive team culture can definitely transform a quarterback. Just a year or two ago, both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold seemed destined to bounce around the league as career backups, despite being former top-five picks. However, landing in the right environments — Mayfield at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Darnold at the Minnesota Vikings — has revitalized their careers. Now both are playing at an MVP level, shattering records even.

Ironically, the Carolina Panthers had both Mayfield and Darnold on their roster at one point but decided to let them go. They would surely be regretting the decisions now. Jon Gruden has reminded them of their mistake, even though they may not need a memory boost. The way Mayfield destroyed the Panthers today was reminder enough.

“Dave I’m going with Carolina Panthers. They get shredded today by Baker Mayfield and then you realize- hey, we cut him. We had him in our team. Then you are flying home to Charlotte and you are watching Sam Darnold throw for 400 yards for 14-2 Vikings. They let him go as well. You get what you deserve, Carolina,” Guden said on the latest episode of The Shred Line.

Gruden believes the Panthers are reaping what they sowed. Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five TDs, completing 27 of his 32 pass attempts against his former team.

Meanwhile, Darnold threw for big numbers against a good Green Bay Packers side, taking the Vikings to 14-2 for the season. He threw for 377 yards, adding three TDs and just one interception.

Both QBs were on the Panthers’ roster in the 2022 season. The team had traded Darnold for a fifth-round pick and a second-round pick ahead of the 2021 season. He was their starting QB that year and threw for just over 2500 yards and only 9TD passes. He also threw 13 picks and got sacked 35 times.

Darnold’s poor performance made Carolina trade for Mayfield the next season. Both QBs competed for the job, with Mayfield winning it to start the 2022 season as QB1. However, in the six games he started, the team lost five. Mayfield threw for 1300 yards, along with six TDs and six interceptions, and was waived. He went on to join the Los Angeles Rams.

The Panthers then turned to Darnold for the rest of the 2022 season. He threw for just over 1100 yards, 7 TDs, and 3 picks in six starts. Since he played poorly toward the end of the season, the Panthers didn’t renew his contract, making him a free agent.

Now, both QBs are thriving and both might even play each other in the playoffs next month.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are 4-12 with Bryce Young, who looks to be going down the same path as Mayfield and Darnold. Someone should probably rescue him too from the circus that is Carolina.