Baker Mayfield Reignites Old Rift with Former Coach Kevin Stefanski

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Baker Mayfield threw down the gauntlet Tuesday night to his old Browns foe Kevin Stefanski, the new Falcons head coach and Mayfield’s opponent twice a year. In response to an X post by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mayfield called out Stefanski, his former Browns coach, with whom he had a strained relationship in their final season together in 2021. “Falcons’ Kevin Stefanski had a dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland — Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson failed, which started a chain reaction to 11 other starters. QB Shedeur Sanders closed out last season with seven starts,” Ledbetter posted at about 6 p.m. More Cleveland Browns coverage Mike McDaniel pulls out of Browns head coach search, leaving 5 finalists; they’ll need to add a minority too Kevin Stefanski hires one of his favorite former Browns assistants to join him with the Falcons Carson Schwesinger wins PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year — is bigger hardware next for the Browns LB? About 42 minutes later, Mayfield, who ended on bad terms with Stefanski after a tumultuous 2021 season, reposted it with a biting and telling response. “Failed is quite the reach pal,” he wrote. “Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.” Stefanski and Mayfield flourished in their first season together in 2020, with Mayfield throwing for 3,563 yards, with 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He went 11-5 and led the Browns to a wild card berth that year, their first postseason appearance in 18 years. The Browns beat the Steelers in the wild card round, 48-37, their first playoff victory in 26 years, and came a drive away from defeating the Chiefs in the divisional round in Kansas City. But things unraveled in 2021, when Mayfield suffered a serious left shoulder injury Week 2 and was never the same. He continued to play on it and struggled, leading the Browns to a 6-8 record before succumbing to the shoulder in the second-to-last game of the season. Things came to a head after that 24-16 loss to the Steelers when Mayfield called Stefanski out for letting him get sacked nine times by the Steelers, including four by T.J. Watt. Specifically, Mayfield was upset that Stefanski didn’t provide backup right tackle James Hudson III with chipping help against the soon-to-be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mayfield also said after that game that he might decide with his own advisors to sit out the finale to protect his injured shoulder. The Browns, who had picked up Mayfield’s fifth-year option for 2022 but didn’t make him a long-term offer, opted to go in another direction when Deshaun Watson became available after the season. Mayfield asked to be traded after the Browns flew to Houston in March 2022 to court Watson, and the Browns ultimately obliged, shipping Mayfield to the Panthers in July for a conditional fifth-round pick. He later asked for his release from the Panthers after a 1-5 start, but revived his career with the Rams when he led them to a last-minute victory over the Raiders just two days after being let go by Carolina. Mayfield has since been rejuvenated with the Bucs, where he led them to the playoffs in 2023 with a 9-8 mark and 2024 with a 10-7 record, beating the Eagles in the wild card round in 2023 and losing in the divisional round. He lost to the Commanders in the wild card round in 2023, and was off to a great start this season — even being touted as an MVP candidate — before the injury-ravaged Bucs lost seven of their last nine to miss out on the playoffs. Now, Mayfield, who had plenty of well-documented beef with Stefanski in 2021, will have two chances a year to try to roast him.