The Carolina Panthers waived quarterback (QB) Baker Mayfield, the team announced on Monday.

"This is a tough business," the Panthers' interim coach Steve Wilks said. "Sitting in this seat, it was a tough decision on my part, but something I felt like was the best move for the team moving forward."

As the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft in 2018, Mayfield was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Panthers in July. He started six games for the Panthers and completed 119 of 206 passes for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions. The team lost five of those games.

Mayfield ceased to play for the Panthers since they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 on November 20. According to Wilks, Mayfield learnt that he will not be the team's starting or backup QB in the rest of the season before asking them to release him. The player and the team reached an agreement later to move on.

"He felt and we felt we wanted to give him the opportunity to seek whatever him and his agent felt was best for him," Wilks said. "He has been nothing but a professional for us, so I wanted to extend that courtesy."

"It's an awful business, really. I feel so bad. He's such a good guy. There's love for him and his wife, and I'm just gonna miss him," guard Austin Corbett said. "It's shocking to us. He's the ultimate teammate. Everybody loved him. He loves everybody in here. It hurts. I just hope somebody claims him off waivers and he gets into another room."

The Panthers are currently 4-8 and third in the National Football Conference South. They will count on Sam Darnold and PJ Walker in the QB position to finish the season. Darnold is expected to start in the coming game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.