Baker Mayfield rips coach Kevin Stefanski after the QB ‘got shipped off like a piece of garbage’ by Browns
The new Falcons coach, Stefanski attended St. Joseph’s Prep and got his coaching start at Penn, his alma mater.
While newly hired Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski may have enjoyed portions of his tenure in Cleveland, especially when he was twice named the NFL’s coach of the year, that doesn’t mean everyone remembers his time so fondly.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield fired shots at Stefanski on social media on Tuesday in response to a post that blamed the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft for being part of a “dumpster fire” — especially at quarterback — under Stefanski.
“Failed is quite the reach, pal,” Mayfield wrote in response to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter’s post that said Mayfield and quarterback Deshaun Watson had “failed” in Cleveland. A community note was added to the post highlighting how Mayfield was one of the few successful Browns quarterbacks recently.
“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,” the rest of Mayfield’s post read.
Mayfield played under Stefanski during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including a Browns playoff run in 2020, winning their wild-card game against Pittsburgh, 48-37, but falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, 22-17.
However, the next season, Mayfield struggled with a shoulder injury and went 6-8 in The Games he started. In March 2022, Mayfield publicly requested a trade, saying that the relationship with the Browns was “too far gone to mend.”
Mayfield was dealt to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick, before he requested his release and ended up with the Los Angeles Rams for a five-game stint in late 2022. Mayfield then was signed by the Buccaneers in 2023, where he has had newfound success, leading Tampa Bay to two NFC South titles. This year, the Buccaneers narrowly missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, finishing with an 8-9 record.
But now, five seasons later, Stefanski and Mayfield will again find themselves on the same field, just different sidelines. Stefanski’s move to Atlanta also means a move to the NFC South, setting up the two to face off twice a year.
As for Stefanski’s time with the Browns, the St. Joseph’s Prep graduate won NFL coach of the year honors in 2020 and 2023 after leading Cleveland to two playoff appearances, including its first playoff win in decades. However, his most recent two seasons brought disappointing results with an 8-26 overall record. The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris after this season, opening a vacancy filled by Stefanski.