Baker Mayfield welcomes ex-Browns coach Kevin Stefanski to NFC South with pointed message about Browns exit

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 Tuesday night.

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

However, Mayfield views the situation differently, saying he was cast out of the Browns’ organization like "garbage" despite being the team’s first overall pick and helping lead them to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 during the 2020 campaign, Stefanski’s first year as the head coach.

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

"Failed is quite the reach pal," Mayfield said, referencing a note from the reporter who said Mayfield and Deshaun Watson, who remains on the Browns’ roster, failed in Cleveland. "Still waiting on a text/call from [Stefanski] after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach."

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

ATLANTA FALCONS REPORTEDLY HIRING KEVIN STEFANSKI AS NEW HEAD COACH

The Browns moved on from Stefanski, 43, after going 5-12 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 hot head coaching candidate in the league. He was the second coach off the board, with John Harbaugh leading the way by taking the New York Giants’ job.

Shortly after, the Falcons announced Stefanski’s signing, giving him a five-year deal.

But Mayfield is clearly salty about how things ended in Cleveland. And though he eventually found a home in Tampa Bay, it appears some extra motivation will be on the schedule twice a year moving forward.

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

Mayfield went 11-5 that year, earning a playoff berth and winning in the wild-card round to secure his first career playoff win. Despite a loss in the divisional round, the football world believed Mayfield was the guy and Stefanski was finally the coach 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’ trade with the Houston Texans for Watson.

Just like that, Mayfield’s time with the Browns was over, and he was forced back into a quarterback competition. He won on over 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, which included inserting the Oklahoma product into a game two days after he joined the team. He led the team to a come-from-behind win.

While it would be Mayfield’s only win with the Rams, the Bucs gave him another crack at being a starting quarterback after Tom Brady’s retirement after the 2022 campaign. Mayfield led the Bucs to the playoffs in year one, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the wild-card round.

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

So, while things worked out for Mayfield, who never gave up on his starting hopes in the NFL, it seems he would’ve 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 will work with quarterback Michael Penix, running back Bijan Robinson and the rest of the young cornerstone pieces in Atlanta.

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