According to Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer, it's no guarantee that Baker Mayfield will be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1 against his former Cleveland Browns team-mates.
With Carolina’s acquisition of Mayfield from Cleveland for a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2024 official, Fitterer met with the media on Tuesday and said the starting QB job is up for grabs with Mayfield, Sam Darnold, third-year pro P.J. Walker and rookie Matt Corral all in the mix.
"The reason why we added Baker was to make the group better as a whole," Fitterer said. "Our whole philosophy is to add competition not just in the quarterback room but every position.
"So if we see an opportunity to get better, where we can add a player that makes sense for us as a team, makes sense for us financially, makes sense for us just from an addition standpoint, we're going to do that.
"And with Baker being out there, having the conversations, it made sense for us."
Mayfield went 29-30 in 59 regular-season starts with the Browns after they selected him first overall in 2018. Darnold was taken two picks later by the New York Jets, who traded him to Carolina in April 2021.
Darnold appeared in 12 games last year in his first season with Carolina and went 4-7 in 11 starts.
"Sam really had a nice spring for us, stepped up, showed a lot of edge, threw the ball really well," Fitterer said. "And I think competition would be good for him, would be good for P.J., it's good for Matt Corral — the young guy that's going to be in the room learning. And it's good for Baker. It's a fresh start for him.
"So I think overall, it's a very healthy situation for us all to be in."
Potentially starting against the Browns in the season opener has Mayfield excited.
"I'm not going to sit here and be a robot and tell you that's not one I've marked on the calendar already," Mayfield said.
"One, that's not who I am. To me, it's about winning games. Whoever we have marked on the schedule, I'm going to try to win.
“Obviously, this one has a little more history and personal meaning, but for me, it's about winning and setting the tone for the rest of the year, and however I can help this team do that, I'm going to do."
Star NFL tight end Kelce reportedly agrees to two-year extension with Chiefs
Travis Kelce has been instrumental to the Chiefs' success over the past few seasons and will remain in Kansas City for the next few seasons.
The four-time All-Pro tight end and the Chiefs have agreed to a two-year contract extension, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Terms of the extension were not disclosed, but Rapoport reported Monday that the deal will make him the NFL's highest-paid tight end.
Kelce is currently under contract through 2025, so the new deal will keep him in Kansas City through 2027 after his age-37 season.
The 34-year-old Kelce is Kansas City's all-time leader in receiving yards with 11,328 yards, while ranking second in receptions (907) and second in receiving touchdowns (74). He is just 10 catches away from passing Tony Gonzalez as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions and three TD catches away from surpassing Gonzalez's record in that category.
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2013, Kelce saw his NFL record streak for a tight end of consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards end at seven in 2023, when he finished with a team-high 984 yards. His 93 receptions were also the most on the Chiefs, and he had five touchdown grabs.
It may have been a down season by his standards, but he was still named to his ninth Pro Bowl team and once again produced in the play-offs.
In helping Kansas City defend its Super Bowl title and secure its third Lombardi Trophy in the last five seasons, Kelce caught 32 passes for 355 yards with three touchdowns in four play-off games. In the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in February's Super Bowl, Kelce had nine receptions for 93 yards,
In addition to being one of the most prolific tight ends in NFL history and a core member of the Chiefs' recent dynasty, Kelce has gained enormous popularity in the last year due to his relationship to pop icon Taylor Swift.
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Elliott rejoining Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back two-time NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott after the sides agreed to terms on a deal Monday.
Dallas selected Elliott with the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, and he won the NFL rushing title as a rookie (1,631 yards) and again in 2018 (1,434).
After a contract holdout prior to the 2019 campaign, Elliott landed a $90million, six-year extension and wound up rushing for 1,357 yards that season.
He only surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground once from 2020-22 before being released in March 2023 and signing a one-year contract with the New England Patriots.
Elliott ranks third in Dallas franchise history with 8,262 rushing yards behind all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith (17,162) and Tony Dorsett (12,036).
He is also third in team history with 68 rushing touchdowns behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Smith (153) and Dorsett (72).
Elliott, who will turn 29 years old in July, ran for 642 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games with New England last season.
Tony Pollard led Dallas in 2023 with 1,005 rushing yards before signing with the Tennessee Titans in March.
Texans wide receiver Dell shot, suffers minor wound
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was shot as an innocent bystander and sustained a minor wound outside a nightclub in Samford, Florida on Saturday night.
The team said Dell has already been released from the hospital and is “in good spirits.”
A total of 10 people were wounded in the shooting, but all the injuries are non-life threatening.
Houston selected Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Daytona Beach, Florida native had 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season.
Dell did not play after Week 13 due to a fractured fibula.
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