Baker Mayfield next team odds: 49ers, Ravens favorites for former Heisman Trophy winner

Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield has been released by the Carolina Panthers. The move makes all the sense in the world because of compensation the Panthers would have owed the Cleveland Browns if Mayfield played a certain amount of snaps under center with Carolina. Where might he land? SportsLine oddsmakers favor the San Francisco 49ers in the wake of Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending injury.

Mayfield requested his release after being informed he would be the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Sam Darnold and former XFL player PJ Walker. Had he still been on the roster, Mayfield would have been inactive this Sunday at Seattle. Mayfield threw for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six picks in seven appearances (six starts) for the Panthers.

Carolina acquired Mayfield in July, agreeing to send a conditional 2024 fifth-round draft pick to Cleveland that could have become a fourth had Mayfield, the first pick of the 2018 draft, played 70% of the team's offensive snaps. That did not happen. If Mayfield goes unclaimed by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, he will become an unrestricted free agent. If someone claims his contract, that team will owe him $1.349 million over the rest of the season.

Mayfield has an 18.2 Total QBR in 2022, ranking 520th out of 521 qualified QB seasons since the stat was first tracked in 2006. The only worse output was Jimmy Clausen's 13.8 mark in 2010, also with Carolina. The Panthers will almost surely be drafting a quarterback with its first-round pick in 2023.

After losing both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance to season-ending injuries, the 49ers are down to third-stringer and Mr. Irrelevant (a title bestowed upon the last player taken in each NFL draft) Brock Purdy at quarterback. They also just added journeyman Josh Johnson. Baltimore on Sunday lost starting QB Lamar Jackson to a knee injury, so Mayfield makes some sense there. He obviously knows the AFC North well from his Browns days.

The Los Angeles Rams could claim Mayfield just to stick it to the rival Niners as Matthew Stafford is expected to miss the rest of the season. Los Angeles really has nothing to play for at this point. San Francisco is 24th in waiver priority. The Rams are fourth.

The Houston Texans (first waiver priority) reportedly had some interest in Mayfield this offseason, as did the Seattle Seahawks, but Geno Smith has played well for Seattle. The Indianapolis Colts love collecting quarterbacks, so they could be an option. Raiders coach Josh McDaniels reportedly was very high on Mayfield when McDaniels was the New England offensive coordinator.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Which will be Baker Mayfield's next team?

• 49ers Even
• Ravens +200
• Texans +300
• Rams +500
• Saints +600
• Colts +900
• Raiders +1000
• Lions +1500
• Seahawks +1800

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