THE MONDAY AFTER: Now what for Baker Mayfield? San Francisco?

Would the San Francisco 49ers even want Baker Mayfield?

Does any NFL team anymore?

Those questions fast came to mind Monday after NFL Network reported in the morning that the Carolina Panthers were set to waive the quarterback later in the day, after having demoted him to third string, behind starter Sam Darnold and top backup PJ Walker.

By midday the Panthers indeed waived Mayfield.

Waiver-claim rounds at this time of year proceed from teams with the worst records to best, so the Houston Texans (1-10-1) have first dibs on Mayfield, followed by the Chicago Bears (3-10), then the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos (3-9), and so forth up to the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

The 49ers are 8-4, and would be among the last 6-9 teams able to claim Mayfield — should he go unclaimed by then. We’ll know by Tuesday afternoon.

The Niners, of course, find themselves in quite a predicament with five weeks to go in the regular season. They lead the NFC West and are playing their best ball of the season — arguably their best ball since 2019 — but early in Sunday’s defeat of the Miami Dolphins they lost their second starting passer of the season, Jimmy Garoppolo, to a broken foot.

This, after losing second-year Trey Lance in Week 2 to a season-ending ankle fracture.

That leaves rookie Brock Purdy — the last pick of April’s draft — as the Niners’ most game-ready quarterback. He sure did not play like Mr. Irrelevant against the Dolphins, completing 68% for 210 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 33-17 win. Purdy entered the game late in the first quarter with Miami up 7-3.

How impressive is that?

But even if the 22-year-old plays well enough to remain a starter until season’s end, he’ll need a worthy backup. Especially this season in San Fran!

The 49ers scrambled Sunday night to sign veteran backup Josh Johnson to the active roster, off the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. By NFL rules for practice-squad signings, Johnson must remain on San Francisco’s active roster for the next three weeks, minimum.

Claiming Mayfield off waivers would mean San Francisco would have to carry three QBs on the active roster until Christmas. Stay tuned.

Look, it’s been a hell of a year for Mayfield. Few humble pies ever were so big.

He began 2022 coming off his fourth season with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2017. There was plenty of speculation through the winter whether the Browns even wanted to stick with Mayfield as QB starter. Probably they would, the general thinking went, but after having led the Browns to within a whisker of a divisional playoff-round upset of the Chiefs at Kansas City in January 2021, last season — that is, when his body wasn’t an injury-riddled mess — he struggled a bunch, despite having the luxury of a complementary rushing-attack juggernaut.

Finally, by mid-March past, the Browns publicly expressed a desire to move on from Mayfield, when the club did not deny reports it was among the hardest pursuers of Deshaun Watson, via trade from Houston.

Upon being successful in acquiring Watson in late March, Mayfield instantly became surplus, damaged goods — expendable. He took it hard, lashing out at the Browns publicly, as was consistent with his hair-trigger temper and outsized ego.

It wasn’t until late July that the Browns found a trade partner, the lowly Panthers, who had to give up only a Day 3 draft pick to acquire Mayfield.

The 27-year-old had every chance in the world to beat out Darnold and Walker in Carolina, and did early on in training camp, and for the first five weeks of the season. By then, when he got hurt and missed a few games, Carolina was 1-4, and Mayfield had completed just 55%, for four TDs vs. four interceptions, and only 192 yards per game. Pretty miserable stuff.

After his replacement, Walker, got hurt in mid-November, Mayfield returned for two games, but was no better.

The man who probably wanted Mayfield most in Carolina, then embattled head coach Matt Rhule, finally was fired back on Oct. 10, and interim replacement Steve Wilks seemingly could not wait to move on from Mayfield.

Last week, with all three QBs finally healthy, Wilks announced that Darnold, who’d been out since mid-August with an ankle injury, would be the team’s starter to finish the season, or at least for now, and that Walker would be his top backup — meaning Mayfield was relegated to third-string and watching games in sweats on the sideline or press ox.

Reports Monday said Mayfield requested his release. After the trade deadline, all released players, even veterans, must go through the waiver system.

What other teams might consider claiming Mayfield on Tuesday on the waiver wire?

Perhaps the Baltimore Ravens, depending on the severity of Lamar Jackson’s knee injury.

Perhaps the Atlanta Falcons, who seem about ready to move on from failed 2022 temp Marcus Mariota.

Surely not the Texans, for if they’d wanted Mayfield this year they surely would have insisted he be part of the return capital in their trading of Watson to Cleveland back in March. Why would they want a further diminished Mayfield now?

One positive thing in Mayfield’s favour is that upon joining the Panthers, he punted all public petulance and arrogance and seemed to say all the right things. That improved attitude should help him land somewhere this week, if only as a backup. Mayfield has shown he can do serve that role without being a team distraction, internal or otherwise.

But this must be said, too. If he can no longer crack the Top 2 on the QB depth chart of one of the league’s worst teams, even one as dysfunctional as this year’s Panthers, then his days as a season-long starter in the NFL might well be done.

FIVE FAST FACTS

Dallas scored more points Sunday night (54) than Denver has since Halloween (45) … Nick Bosa now has the most sacks (14.5) … Teams have converted 52.1% of 511 fourth-down conversion attempts … Lions lead the league in red-zone TD percentage (73.9) … Only Mahomes (30), Burrow (25) and Allen (25) have thrown for more TDs than Aaron Rodgers (22).

FAST NEWS

The NFL announced which three games will be played a week from this coming Saturday, Dec. 17, in its previously unfilled tripleheader: In the 1 p.m. EST game, Indianapolis at Minnesota; 4:30 p.m. EST, Baltimore at Cleveland; and 8:15 p.m. EST, Miami at Buffalo … Also in Week 15, New York Giants at Washington replaces New England at Las Vegas as the Sunday-nighter … Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said he expects QB Matthew Stafford (IR, spinal-cord contusion) to have a “healthy” offseason and that his injury is not a long-term thing … Despite constant speculation that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh might consider a jump back to the NFL, he said this Sunday: “I will be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023” … Indy interim head coach Jeff Saturday, following Sunday night’s crumbling 54-19 loss at Dallas, said “we’re gonna look at everything,” player-wise, during this bye week … Baltimore reportedly will sign free-agent QB Brett Hundley … Bill Belichick told a Boston radio station “it’s too hard” at this time of season “to make dramatic changes,” re offensive strategy and coaching. Too bad for Mac Jones … Dallas owner/GM Jerry Jones said, “I’m going to be trying to make it work” in meeting Monday and Tuesday with free-agent WR Odell Beckham … Cowboys CB Anthony Brown probably suffered a season-ending Achilles injury vs. the Colts, Jones said … Seattle RB Kenneth Walker “jammed” and strained a foot/ankle, and might be able to play against Carolina on Sunday, Pete Carroll said.

JoKryk@postmedia.com

@JohnKryk

QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

All 32 starting QBs, after Sunday games, with last week’s rankings in brackets:

THIS WEEK

Quick thoughts on Week 14 games (all on Sunday unless noted):

BYES: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Colts, Saints, Commanders. Last ones.