Baker Mayfield takes shot at new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield clearly hasn’t forgotten how his time in Cleveland ended after taking a shot at new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski on Tuesday night.

Mayfield took exception to a tweet from an Atlanta-based reporter who wrote about Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland, particularly the number of quarterbacks he had to work with, because none seemed to stick.

However, Mayfield sees the situation differently, saying he was written out of the Browns organization as “trash” despite being the team’s first overall pick and helping them qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2002 during the 2020 campaign, Stefanski’s first year as head coach.

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Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 10, 2021, in Inglewood, California. (John McCoy/Getty Images)

Now that Stefanski will see Mayfield and the Bucs twice a season in his new role, the veteran quarterback has welcomed him to the NFC South as only he can.

“Failure is quite a friend,” Mayfield said, referring to a reporter’s note that said Mayfield and Deshaun Watson, who remains on the Browns’ roster, failed in Cleveland. “Still waiting for a text/call from [Stefanski] after being shipped like trash. I look forward to seeing you twice a year, Coach.”

The rivalry has already started and Stefanski has yet to hold a practice with the Falcons.

ATLANTA FALCONS HIRE KEVIN STEFANSKI AS NEW HEAD COACH

The Browns moved on from Stefanski, 43, after a 5-12 record in his sixth season with the franchise. After a 3-14 campaign in 2024, the Browns felt it was time for new leadership in the building, and the search remains to find their next man on the sideline.

Stefanski immediately became a promising candidate for head coach in the league. He was the second coach to leave the board, with John Harbaugh leading the way by taking the New York Giants job.

Shortly after, the Falcons announced the signing of Stefanski, giving him a five-year contract.

But Mayfield is clearly salty about how things ended in Cleveland. And while he ultimately found a home in Tampa Bay, it looks like extra motivation is on the cards twice a year going forward.

Mayfield was the first overall pick in 2018. After sub-.500 seasons as he acclimated to the NFL, he began working with Stefanski in 2020, and Cleveland finally got on track.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 3, 2022, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mayfield went 11-5 that year, earning a playoff berth and winning in the wild-card round to secure his first career playoff victory. Despite losing in the divisional round, the soccer world believed Mayfield was the man and Stefanski was ultimately the coach they needed to right the ship.

But after going 6-8 in his fourth season in Cleveland, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers after the Browns traded Watson to the Houston Texans.

Just like that, Mayfield’s time with the Browns was over and he was forced back into a quarterback competition. He beat out Sam Darnold to start the 2022 season, but after going 1-5 to start the season, the Panthers released him.

Mayfield was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, and head coach Sean McVay made the best of the situation, including inserting the Oklahoma product into a game two days after joining the team. He led the team to a come-from-behind victory.

Although it would be Mayfield’s only win with the Rams, the Bucs gave him another chance to become a starting quarterback following Tom Brady’s retirement following the 2022 campaign. Mayfield led the Bucs to the playoffs in year one, beating the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the wild-card round.

The Buccaneers gave Mayfield a three-year, $100 million contract to be their starter for the near future.

Baker Mayfield took a shot at his former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who now leads the Bucs’ NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons. (GETTY)

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So while things have been going well for Mayfield, who never gave up on his hopes of starting in the NFL, it seems like he would have at least liked a phone call from his coach.

Stefanski finished his tenure in Cleveland with a 45-56 record in 101 career games. Now he’ll work with quarterback Michael Penix, running back Bijan Robinson and the rest of Atlanta’s young centerpieces.

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