Spartanburg, S.C. — Two weeks into training camp and the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback situation remains unsettled.
Coach Matt Rhule said both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have had good days, but he’s not ready to declare a starter. Rhule said that decision could come after the team’s second preseason game against the New England Patriots on Aug. 19, one that would allow one quarterback to settle in and get the majority of the work in practice.
In the meantime, Mayfield and Darnold – the No. 1 and 3 overall picks in the 2018 draft, respectively – continue to split reps at Wofford College as the Panthers work through the process.
Rhule said the Panthers haven’t wanted to rush the decision, saying “the important thing is finding the right guy.”
“I don’t want to start one guy and then realize after two games we made the wrong decision and go back to the other guy,” Rhule said.
Rhule hasn’t decided who’ll start the team’s preseason opener on Saturday night at Washington.
When asked if there has been any separation between the QBs at camp, Rhule said, “I know that one quarterback has played better than the other quarterback one day and then there has been some other things the next day. … I think it’s been back and forth.”
Rhule said he expects both Mayfield and Darnold on the final 53-man roster, along with a third quarterback. He was quick to point out the need for depth, citing that only 12 NFL quarterbacks started all 17 regular-season games last season.
So, the competition rages on.
Mayfield has refrained from rocking the boat and saying he deserves to be the starter, even though he has looked sharper than Darnold at training camp.
“It’s probably human nature to want more reps,” Mayfield said. “Sam would probably say the same thing. To me it’s about improving – to get myself to be playing the best quarterback I can and to be playing at a high level. I’m just going to put my head down and work. That’s what I know how to do.”
Rhule said Mayfield, who’s still learning offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s playbook after being acquired on July 6, is “definitely improving.”
“He’s getting more and more of a feel for what he can do at the line of scrimmage,” Rhule said. “What he has done in 10 practices is really impressive. He’s making good jumps.”
Mayfield said he has enjoyed the quarterback competition with Darnold, saying the two have regularly discussed their ups and downs in the league and tried to help each other as much as possible.
“It’s not about trying to stab one another in the back,” Mayfield said. “It’s about elevating because the franchise and the team goes as the QB room goes. I was taught that at a young age and if we can elevate everybody, that is great.”
Darnold said both QBs understand the situation.
“We both want to be the starter and we are both going to put ourselves in a good position to try to be that guy for the team,” Darnold said. “But at the end of the day it’s not up to us. It’s up to the coaches, and the front office.”
Giants practice disrupted by fights
With the New York Giants ramping up practices in the middle of a heat advisory days before their first preseason game, it was only a matter of time before tempers erupted.
In a span a four plays Monday, running back Saquon Barkley plowed over cornerback Aaron Robinson and linebacker Tae Crowder got into it with free agent running back Antonio Williams.
The main attraction was starting center Jon Feliciano seemingly kneeing Crowder on an ensuing play, an incident which emptied both sidelines onto the field.
Linebacker Cam Brown eventually grabbed the back of Feliciano’s jersey and dragged him out of a scrum of 50 players. The center then got on his feet and threw a haymaker at Brown that seemed to connect with his helmet. Brown tried to swing back but didn’t seem to connect.
Shortly after teammates separated the two, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson pushed Brown.
The incidents caused coach Brian Daboll to call the team together and he spoke for five minutes before practice resumed without incident.
Daboll did not speak to reporters on Monday. The team refused to take requests from reporters to speak with Feliciano, Brown, Barkley and Crowder.
“In practice, it’s tough not to be offensive versus defense against each other,” veteran safety Julian Love said. “And so you get some physicality. You got some younger coaches with guys who play the game, you know, the testosterone is high at times. And so it is what it is.”
Veteran linebacker Jihad Ward smiled and said he didn’t see much of what was happening, sarcastically saying he was looking at his playbook. He said most of the players were in the locker room giggling, laughing, playing music and chilling after practice.
“This ain’t nothing compared to just jawing small, man,” Ward said. “People outside are going to look at and say ‘Oh, it’s crazy. But you know, this ain’t nothing going on, we are going to laugh at it in the locker room.”
While some felt Barkley showed a little too much aggressiveness running over Robinson, Love had no problem with it.
“He’s you know, he’s Saquon Barkley, what, the No. 2 pick,” Love said. “He’s a guy who’s big, strong, we call them ‘Quads.′ And that’s the type of running we want.”
Love also had no problem with Crowder answering for the defense on the next play, when he went after the ball with Williams down. He said defensive coordinator Wink Martindale wants his players to stand up for each other.
“The intensity was raising as you guys saw,” Love said. “Something was bound to happen. And as long as we have each other’s back, we’re going to ride for each other, that all are the makings of a great defense.”
Having Feliciano throw a punch at a helmeted Brown was not the wisest move. The center could have broken his hand and New York, which plays the Patriots in New England on Thursday night, does not have depth at the position.
Johnson pushing Brown also was unexpected. It’s rare that a coach gets involved with a player during a team scrum.
Rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger said it was just hot.
“When it’s 95 degrees outside, stuff is going to happen, but it just showed a good physicality for us today,” the fourth-round draft pick from San Diego State said. “I think it was a good sign for us just going out there and being physical.”
Bellinger said Daboll didn’t mind the physicality of practice, telling the players losing teams are the ones that fight.
The Giants have done that for five straight seasons.
Ravens re-sign Tucker
The Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year contract extension with star kicker Justin Tucker.
The team announced the move Monday. Tucker’s previous deal was through 2023.
A five-time All-Pro, Tucker has been a game changer for the Ravens in his 10 years with the team. He’s made a record 91.1% of his field goal attempts, and his 1,360 points are the most ever by a player through his first 10 seasons.
He set another record last year with a 66-yard kick at Detroit that won the game. He is 16 of 16 on field goal attempts in the final minute of regulation and has converted 58 straight in the fourth quarter and overtime, the longest active streak in the league.